You Are Tired, (I think)

E. E. Cummings

• You are tired,
• (I think)
• Of the always puzzle of living and doing;

• And so am I.

• Come with me, then,
• And we’ll leave it far and far away—

• (Only you and I, understand!)

• You have played,
• (I think)
• And broke the toys you were fondest of,
• And are a little tired now;
• Tired of things that break, and—
• Just tired.

• So am I.

• But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
• And knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
• Open to me!
• For I will show you the places Nobody knows,
• And, if you like,

• The perfect places of Sleep.

• Ah, come with me!
• I’ll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
• That floats forever and a day;
• I’ll sing you the jacinth song
• Of the probable stars;
• I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
• Until I find the Only Flower,
• Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
• While the moon comes out of the sea.

Footnotes

In this poem, a man offers a woman to come with him, as she is tired – tired of this routine of life without love, of things that keeps breaking – her broken heart. He says “I think” to be not presumptuous. The mid sentence break in “and—” shows the exhaustion. In the next paragraphs, the author presents the woman a rose, asks to open her heart to him, as he’ll take her away from this tiring reality. Note that there is a beautiful imagery in the last paragraph.

The poem is about the tiring effects of unsuccessful love and heartbreaks, and late finding of true love, when author presents his offer to the woman. The poem itself recounts the story of the author, E. E. Cummings’ life that he met his true love after two broken marriages.