Relationships

Although themes of love, loneliness, and temptation are exceedingly stressed throughout the literary works of William Carlos Williams, E.E. Cummings, and Louise Erdrich, there presence serves only to further the complexity of an even greater theme—relationships. For, while there may be no literal mention of relationships in either “This is Just to Say” or “1(a”, there presence is distinct and easily inferred.

For example, “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams is written in a concise and rather informal manner that, unlike most poems, has an intended audience. And, even though “you” may seem ambiguous, the context in which it is referenced leads most readers to deduce the presence of a wife or significant other. In other words, descriptions such as sweet and delicious (or even cold), which directly describe the plums, seem to dually illustrate the “you” referred to in line 6. Nonetheless, the poem, in its entirety, conveys a sense of remorse, from which many can assume emotional attachment or, hence, love for the reader. If there were no relationship between the speaker and the reader would there be any need to justify the disappearance of a few plums? It seems as if the strength of emotion does not necessarily match the strength of the action, and thus as if there is a more serious or even somewhat playful relationship between the two parties. Even the simplicity of the poem seems to increase the complexity of the inferred relationship; why are the plums so significant? Clearly there is the emphasis on temptation. But even so, such emphasis is very subtle. Instead, to me, the note appears to be an attempt at communication between new lovers, as if they jump at any chance to converse and cannot get of each others companionship. It is playful, yet not forward, and thus, most likely, a representation of a tender relationship.

Conversely, whereas Williams’s poem emphasizes the relationship between two distinct people, E.E. Cummings’s poem, “1(a”, seems to place greater emphasis on interpersonal relationships. In other words, rather than focusing on a person’s ability to interact with or understand other people, Cummings stresses the connection a person has with his or her own thoughts, emotions, and/or feelings—an idea that can, I guess, be easily confused with loneliness for its strong attention to self. Nonetheless, such complex themes are incredibly woven into what seems to be an extremely simple poem. At first glance, the poem is merely a jumble of letters and symbols with no apparent meaning. A second look, however, brings slightly more clarity. Here, the reader is able to decipher the words—loneliness (a leaf falls)—which seem, evidently, to follow with the idea of loneliness. However, on a deeper level, that of analysis, the poem’s form, which had originally hindered understanding, seems to contribute heavily to its meaning. The short, often two-letter, lines and emphasis on the word “one” play strong roles in stressing the author’s loneliness. But, most importantly, the fact that the phrase “a leaf falls” (which in itself conveys the idea of detachment or separation) is placed within “loneliness” seems to accentuate the idea of looking within oneself. Yet again, this has to do with self analysis and understanding, with finding meaning in one’s own life. And hence, under the cover of loneliness and separation, Cummings is able to highlight the importance of relationships, not only with others, but with oneself.

Finally, although Louise Erdrich does directly reference a relationship between family members, most specifically that between the narrator and his grandparents, in her short story, “Love Medicine”, she does so beneath a layer of deceit and temptation, which seems, incredibly, to increase their love for one another rather than diminish it. Initially, we are introduced to the narrator and his two grandparents, who seem to be experiencing great difficulty in their marriage/love life. And while it is obvious that the grandmother loves her husband unconditionally, her love is unreciprocated. Instead, her husband is seeking satisfaction elsewhere. Conversely, there is also the relationship between the two elderly and their grandson. In this relationship the grandson deceives his grandmother by purchasing frozen turkeys rather than living ones to use as ingredients in the “love medicine”. And although this act essentially results in the grandfather’s death, it once again seems to strengthen the concept of love in that their love for one another is more recognizable once it has essentially disappeared. In fact, it seems almost to follow the idea of not knowing what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, which highlights how pervading themes of deceit and temptation help to emphasize the concept of relationships.

In conclusion, while it may be easy to decipher themes of love, temptation, and loneliness, readers should recognize that each one contributes to a greater, more universal, idea of relationships. And these relationships include, but are not necessarily limited to those among groups of individuals or between couples. The idea of relationships ideally includes relationships with all things man, nature, and oneself.