one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one:

one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one:
which halves reintegrating,shall occur
no death and any quantity;but than
all numerable mosts the actual more

minds ignorant of stern miraculous
this every truth-beware of heartless them
(given the scalpel,they dissect a kiss;
or,sold the reason,they undream a dream)

one is the song which fiends and angels sing:
all murdering lies by mortals told make two.
Let liars wilt,repaying life they’re loaned;
we(by a gift called dying born)must grow

deep in dark least ourselves remembering
love only rides his year.
All lose,whole find

Analysis, meaning and summary of e.e. cummings's poem one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one:

5 Comments

  1. pedalpoetman says:

    Somewhat familiar with the concept on non-duality, allow me to comment on the precursor, unity. The Wu chi divided, thus yin and yang were formed. From the nothing/everythingness of Wu, to the black and white of the TaiChi symbol, and within each and as well on the shared border, from these inter-dependent two of which one could not be independently defined, was formed “three” and soon the ten thousand, the multitudes, the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel, and fortunately, this wonderful poem. Wilt in your lover’s arms, in the hard light of reductionism, or in grasping at a light on your path. Whatevs. Remember the true path can not be named. On that path, Love only rides…

  2. Sean says:

    Sorry, but this poem is not about relationships or procreation. It is about nonduality: the absolute unity of reality as it is, in contrast to the illusory divisions created by the conceptualizing mind, which always divides things into categories. Anyone familiar with the so-called “mystical” traditions will easily see this; others will have a bit of a learning curve. Do not underestimate the depth of e.e. cummings’ poetry.

    • Ahimsa Ishaya says:

      yes, nicely said

      (the meaning is obvious for
      those who have the eyes to see …
      rather inexplicable if not experienced)

  3. TomM says:

    “one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one:”

    the rest of the poem is quite difficult
    as the construction of English is twisted into
    knots to capture truths
    and holding with the knots … but
    like the bowknots of shoestrings, when each end is carefully pulled ~ ! comes undone! thus releasing:
    both loving relationship and freedoms
    everySharing.

    “one is the song which fiends and angels sing:”

    “all murdering lies by mortals told make two.””

    the first line still stands elegantly naked and says it best:

    “one’s not half two. It’s two are halves of one”

    my own comment:
    which in one((each,the other thus
    ~embraces encompassing
    every thing: shared becomes @@ !
    thus becoming:
    is
    ……………..
    TomM

    [[intelligent dialogue and questions concerning the love of ee cummings are welcomed]]

  4. Richard Maguire says:

    This is one of the first poems of e.e. cummings that I read. I had a hard time understanding a lot of it, but the first line expressed my sense of the sort of relationship I wanted to have with my life partner. When I met my wife many years later, we both felt that this line most beautifully expressed our joy at finding one another and how we wanted to be with each other. Now 36 years later, it remains a marvellous expression of how we feel about each other.

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