Our selected poem for Valentine’s Day 2025: “i carry your heart with me”
Love is timeless. Across centuries, poets and dreamers have attempted to capture its essence in words. But few have expressed love with such intimacy, brevity, simplicity, clarity and tenderness as E. E. Cummings in his iconic poem “i carry your heart with me.” More than a poem, “i carry your heart” is a love letter—a declaration that feels as fresh and authentic today as when it was published in 1952.
For all the reasons above, this poem is popular as a reading at weddings and has, no doubt, appeared in many valentine’s cards. In this post, we’ll briefly explore the life of this remarkable poet, his rule-breaking use of language, and why his most famous love poem remains an enduring message about the heart’s deepest promise.
Please note that unusual spacing, lack of upper case letters, etc. are characteristic of Cummings’ work. These elements are as integral to his story as his choice of words.
Table of contents
[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
ee cummings 1952
E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings was born in 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, into a family that encouraged intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, and individuality. His father was a Harvard professor in the fledgling department of sociology, as well as a Unitarian minister at a leading Boston Congregationalist Church.
As a child, Cummings wrote a poem a day, and at Harvard, he excelled in literature and began experimenting with language and form. His life took a dramatic turn during World War I, when he volunteered to drive an ambulance in France. (This wartime assignment was often chosen by those who considered themselves pacifists.) While there, he was arrested and interned in a French detention camp for several months due to his outspoken views on the war. He was only released due to his influential father’s entreaties. As a result of that internment, he wrote his first published first book, The Enormous Room. This experience deepened his belief in freedom and individuality—values that would define his poetry.
Want to read the book? You can download The Enormous Room for free at the Gutenberg Project.
After returning to the U.S., Cummings pursued a life of art, writing nearly 3,000 poems, painting, and traveling extensively. His work, often focused on love, nature, and human connection, broke every poetic rule and created a new kind of beauty. Cummings died in 1964.
E. E. Cummings was an inquisitive and playful free-thinker; his innovative, experimental style changed how we think about language and how it can be used to express emotion. How Cummings poetry breaks the rules to create intimacy and simplicity. For example:
Would you like to improve your writing with private training?
Cummings often merged words or created new expressions to evoke fresh emotions. His poems feel spontaneous and conversational, but every word is carefully chosen. His rejection of formal grammar allows his poetry to move freely, much like love itself.
This poem has become a cultural touchstone for weddings, love letters, and personal declarations. Its simplicity makes it universally accessible, while its emotional depth keeps readers coming back to it again and again. In a world full of fleeting connections, “i carry your heart with me” reminds us of the power of enduring love—a love that transcends time, space, and circumstance.
As you celebrate love this Valentine’s Day, let this poem inspire you. Share it with someone you love, write it in a card, or simply carry its words in your heart. Because love isn’t something we find. It’s something we carry—always.
For another dimension of the poem, experience it in song with Michael Hedges.
Copyright Credit: the poem, (more or less) as it appears on the Poetry Foundation page: “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]” Copyright 1952, © 1980, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust, from Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage. Source: Complete Poems: 1904-1962 (Liveright Publishing Corporation, 1991)
EE Cummings Free Poetry Archive
Poetry Foundation: EE Cummings
Historic Image EE Cummings: Wikimedia Commons
Looking for a more Shakespearean flavor of romance? Check out our post, Romeo and Juliet.
Or read our post, Shakespeare’s Language of Love.
Author: “‘i carry your heart with me’ A poem for Valentine’s Day by E.E. Cummings,” Brenda de Jong-Pauley, MA, 2025, The English Center.
The English Center. Since 2009, thousands of learners have trusted our courses.
