Poem Analysis - Unto Thee I

Aromatic Devotion: An Exploration of Love and Sensory Experience

E.E. Cummings's "unto thee i" is a sensual and intimate exploration of devotion, painted through the vibrant imagery of incense and its effects on the speaker. The poem unfolds as a series of sensory experiences, moving from the concrete act of burning incense to an almost hallucinatory perception of the beloved. The tone is initially reverent, tinged with anticipation, and gradually intensifies into a state of ecstatic surrender. The poem eschews traditional punctuation and capitalization, enhancing its fluid and dreamlike quality, creating a space for personal and subjective interpretation. It feels like a private, almost breathless, confession of love.

The Alchemy of Love: Transforming the Mundane into the Divine

One of the central themes of the poem is the transformative power of love. The burning of incense serves as a catalyst, transmuting the ordinary into something extraordinary. The "bowl crackles" and "seethes," giving rise to "purple pencils" and "fluent spires of fragrance." This vivid imagery suggests that the act of devotion, fueled by love, elevates the speaker's perception, allowing them to see beauty and wonder in the simplest of things. The act of burning incense is not merely a ritual, but a form of alchemy, transforming base materials into a sensory feast that mirrors the speaker's feelings for the beloved. The poem suggests that true love has the ability to unveil hidden beauty and transform the mundane into the divine.

Sorrow and Beauty: The Intertwined Nature of Love

The poem also subtly explores the bittersweet nature of love, intertwining joy and sorrow. While the speaker experiences "ecstasy" and describes the beloved's beauty in rapturous terms, there's also a hint of melancholic awareness. The "immaculate / sorrow" of the beloved's smile and the "level litanies" fluttering in their hair suggest a depth of emotion that goes beyond simple happiness. This juxtaposition highlights the complexity of love, acknowledging that even in moments of intense joy, there can be an underlying awareness of fragility and impermanence. The poem beautifully captures how love, in its most profound form, encompasses both the soaring heights of ecstasy and the subtle ache of sorrow.

Incense as Metaphor: An Exploration of Sensory Symbolism

The burning incense serves as a central symbol throughout the poem, representing both the speaker's devotion and the act of surrendering to the experience of love. The imagery associated with the incense – the "purple pencils," "fluent spires," and "flutter of stars" – suggests a transcendence of the physical realm. These vivid descriptions evoke a heightened state of awareness, almost a form of synesthesia, where senses intertwine and create a richer, more profound experience. The "dim smoke" and "vague with ecstasy" suggest that the speaker is willingly losing themselves in the sensory experience, blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination. Perhaps the "olbanum" burned at the poem's conclusion, with its historical association with sacred rituals, deepens the poem's suggestion of the sacred and transformative nature of love itself.

A Fragrant Offering: Finding Divinity in Desire

In conclusion, "unto thee i" is a powerful exploration of love and devotion expressed through rich, sensory imagery. The poem suggests that the act of loving, with its accompanying surrender and heightened awareness, can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. The themes of transformation, the bittersweet nature of love, and the symbolic use of incense all contribute to a profound and deeply personal experience. The poem's significance lies in its ability to capture the intensity of human emotion, portraying love as a transformative force that elevates the soul and reveals the hidden beauty within ourselves and the world around us. It invites us to consider how we, too, might find the divine in our own desires and devotion.