Personal Evaluation:
The poem “since feeling is first” is one of E. E. Cummings’ most anthologized. The situation described is a male poet speaking to his lover, comforting her after she feels that her being guided by her emotions and intuition is inferior to her lover’s wisdom and intellect.
The subject is a contrast between masculine thought and feminine emotion. The speaker attempts to explain his reverence and respect for his lover’s intuition. Ironically, this is expressed through the same poetic logic and reason that he downplays. While the woman is awed by his words, his finest work is nothing compared to her simple gestures of love. Though a poet may describe life, a kiss is life. As goes the old saying: “You’ll know what love is when you’re in it.” Cummings’s prose throws conventional English grammar to the dogs. It seems at first haphazard and random, but after close scrutiny, it serves the rhythm of emotion and the meter of thought.
I selected this poem because it had reminded me of a part of my relationship with my own love, Teresa. She vividly expresses her own emotions, whether joy or sadness, excitement or fear. I find this one of her most beautiful traits; and she can often see the simple beauty in something I would miss due to my attempts to give it structure. In stark contrast to her, my decisions are made according to logic and careful thought. Sometimes she even thinks me boring. Even so, she feels that her unstable emotional nature is a flaw next to my reasoning. I’ve wanted to show her my acceptance and respect for her emotional thinking, but have not been able to. I look forward to reading this poem to her and offering my interpretation of it.