Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

E.E. Cummings' "Song: 4" is a haunting and lyrical poem that blends elements of love, nature, and a sense of impending tragedy. Through vivid imagery and rhythmic repetition, the poem creates a dreamlike atmosphere, where the line between reality and fantasy blurs, evoking both the beauty and the danger of love and pursuit.

The poem opens with the image of the speaker's love riding "all in green" on a "great horse of gold" into the "silver dawn." The contrast between the green of the rider, the gold of the horse, and the silver of the dawn creates a rich, vibrant palette that immediately draws the reader into a world of myth and legend. The use of these colors—green, gold, and silver—suggests a world that is both natural and otherworldly, a place where the ordinary rules of time and space do not apply.

Accompanying the rider are "four lean hounds crouched low and smiling," signaling that this is a hunt. The hounds, lean and smiling, add a sense of anticipation and perhaps menace, as they pursue the "merry deer" that "ran before." The deer, described as "fleeter...than dappled dreams," are swift and elusive, embodying both the beauty and the fragility of the natural world.

As the poem progresses, the deer are further described in ways that emphasize their grace and speed: "the swift sweet deer / the red rare deer." These lines highlight the poet's admiration for the deer, yet there is also a sense of inevitability in their fate, as they are pursued by the hunter and his hounds. The repetition of the hunting scene, with the deer running before the hounds and the rider, creates a cyclical rhythm that mirrors the relentless nature of the hunt.

Each stanza deepens the sense of tension and foreboding, with the deer becoming "softer...than slippered sleep" and "paler...than daunting death." These comparisons not only emphasize the deer's vulnerability but also foreshadow their ultimate fate. The recurring image of the "famished arrow" and the "cruel bugle" heightens the sense of danger and inevitability, as these symbols of the hunt suggest that the deer, despite their beauty and speed, cannot escape their pursuers.

The final stanza brings the poem to a powerful conclusion. The "tall tense deer" are pursued to the "green mountain," where the "lucky hunter sang before." The rider, still "all in green" on his "great horse of gold," continues his relentless pursuit "into the silver dawn." The repetition of these lines from the beginning of the poem reinforces the cyclical nature of the hunt and the sense that this pursuit is endless and unchanging.

The poem concludes with the line "my heart fell dead before," which starkly contrasts with the vibrant, dynamic imagery that precedes it. This final line suggests that the speaker, perhaps overcome by the inevitability of the deer's fate, experiences a deep emotional loss. The use of "my heart fell dead" could imply a sense of hopelessness or despair, as the speaker is unable to prevent the tragedy that unfolds before them.

"Song: 4" is a meditation on the beauty and cruelty inherent in the natural world, as well as the complex emotions involved in love and pursuit. Through its rich imagery and rhythmic structure, the poem evokes a sense of both wonder and melancholy, capturing the tension between the desire to possess and the inevitable loss that comes with it. Cummings' use of repetition and vivid descriptions creates a powerful, immersive experience that lingers with the reader long after the poem has ended.

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