somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
ee cummings
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me what the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
, somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
Questions and answers
Stanza 1:
1. In line 1, why are the words "travelled' and ’gladly' placed
next to each other without a space, separated only by a
comma?
The two words are put together to convey a singular idea. The
gladness is an integral part of the travelling.
2. What does the lover need to do to ’enclose’ him? Quote from
the poem and “explain using your own words. “
Frail gesture". Even the smallest/slightest look/glance/eye
movement seems to be so powerful that it encloses/surrounds
him.’
3. Explain what the speaker means when he says, ‘In your most…
which encloses me’ (line 3)
The speaker refers to the idea of is being “enclosed” by his
beloved’s “frail gesture” (her looking at him). This means he is
completely taken by her gaze.
Stanza 2:
4. What does the speaker compare himself to and why is this an
effective comparison?
A tightly closed fist/fingers closed in on themselves. It is
effective because the fact that the speaker’s lover has the
power to unlock this fist/prize open the tightly held fingers
emphasises her power over him.
ee cummings
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me what the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands
, somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
Questions and answers
Stanza 1:
1. In line 1, why are the words "travelled' and ’gladly' placed
next to each other without a space, separated only by a
comma?
The two words are put together to convey a singular idea. The
gladness is an integral part of the travelling.
2. What does the lover need to do to ’enclose’ him? Quote from
the poem and “explain using your own words. “
Frail gesture". Even the smallest/slightest look/glance/eye
movement seems to be so powerful that it encloses/surrounds
him.’
3. Explain what the speaker means when he says, ‘In your most…
which encloses me’ (line 3)
The speaker refers to the idea of is being “enclosed” by his
beloved’s “frail gesture” (her looking at him). This means he is
completely taken by her gaze.
Stanza 2:
4. What does the speaker compare himself to and why is this an
effective comparison?
A tightly closed fist/fingers closed in on themselves. It is
effective because the fact that the speaker’s lover has the
power to unlock this fist/prize open the tightly held fingers
emphasises her power over him.
