Poem Analysis - There Is A Here And

A Bleak and Disappearing World

E.E. Cummings' "There Is A Here And" paints a picture of a dying town, steeped in age and encroached upon by nature. The tone is overwhelmingly melancholic, bordering on despair. The poem evokes a sense of decay and the ephemeral nature of existence. There is a shift from describing the physical attributes of the town to contemplating the nature of being and non-being, emphasizing the vulnerability of the human condition.

The Inevitable March of Time and Decay

One of the central themes of the poem is the relentless passage of time and the inevitable decay that accompanies it. The poem establishes this with vivid imagery: "the town is / so aged the ocean / wanders the streets." This paints a picture of a town so ancient that nature reclaims it. The "houses enter the / people" suggests a loss of distinction between the inhabitants and their surroundings, implying a symbiotic demise. The phrase "feeble go to / sleep if the people sit down" further emphasizes the frail and transient state of the inhabitants and highlights how little energy they have for life.

The Wisdom of Weakness

Paradoxically, another theme explored is the potential wisdom found in weakness. While the inhabitants are described as "feeble," the poem states, "the / feeble are people the feeble / are so wise the people / remember being born." This suggests that their proximity to mortality grants them a unique perspective, a deeper understanding of life’s origins and its fragility. They are connected to a fundamental truth. Their "remembering being born" is not merely recalling a personal event but possibly recalling the beginning of all things, the first spark of existence.

Being and Non-Being

The poem delves into the philosophical concept of being and non-being, exploring the nature of existence and the inevitability of disappearance. The lines "when and / if nothing disappears they / will disappear always who are filled / with never" suggest a complex interplay between presence and absence. Those "filled with never" are paradoxically the most susceptible to complete erasure. The poem also states the comparative levels of being - that which are mostly, that which are almost, that which are feeble and so on. Ultimately, that which are least and that which are am is the fundamental aspect of human life.

Symbols of Fading Existence

The overarching symbol in the poem is the town itself, representing the human world and its impermanence. The "ocean wandering the streets" is a powerful image of nature reclaiming what was once human territory, symbolizing the relentless power of time and entropy. The "dark light" is a paradoxical image that suggests a world where even illumination is tainted by decay. "Mountains grow up from the sky" further symbolizes decay. The inversion indicates a world where the natural order is upset, a world spiraling towards entropy.

Final Thoughts on Ephemeral Existence

"There Is A Here And" is a poignant meditation on the ephemeral nature of existence. The poem uses stark imagery and a melancholic tone to depict a world on the verge of disappearing. While it acknowledges the inevitability of decay and loss, it also suggests a profound wisdom in the awareness of our own mortality. The poem ultimately leaves the reader contemplating the nature of being and non-being, the delicate balance between presence and absence, and the enduring power of memory and experience in the face of oblivion.