The eye’s smile is a window into this Heart
Imperfectly held
Have not those who know — a poet is concealed
within the walls of solid words
for fear it be torn down

:: 0.24.2023 ::

Poet’s Notes:

1. The Eye’s Smile: A poet would consider this as the soul’s way of expressing itself. The eye’s smile might stand for the inner emotions, thoughts, and soul of a person, which they might not otherwise express verbally. A Jungian perspective would also suggest that the ‘eye’s smile’ represents the conscious aspect of an individual – what is seen on the surface.
2. A Window into this Heart: This phrase suggests a pathway to deeper, more intimate emotions or truths. Both a Nobel laureate poet and Carl Jung would appreciate this sentiment. A poet might interpret this as the capacity of art (in this case, poetry) to reveal the innermost feelings of the human heart. Jung, who believed in the concept of individual and collective unconscious, would interpret this as the possibility to access deeper layers of the psyche, beyond the surface level that is immediately visible.
3. Imperfectly Held: This line might be understood by a poet as the human inability to perfectly contain or express emotions. Jung might see this as an acknowledgment of the imperfect nature of our conscious awareness, and the constant tension between our conscious self and the unconscious.
4. A poet is concealed within the walls of solid words: A poet would interpret this as the idea that a poet’s true essence and spirit are hidden within the poetry they create. Poetry is often seen as a construction, a ‘solid’ creation made of words that both express and hide the poet’s true self. From a Jungian perspective, this could relate to the idea of the ‘persona’ – the mask or role that we present to the world – being used to conceal the true self.
5. For fear it be torn down: Both a poet and Jung would recognize the fear of vulnerability inherent in this line. The poet fears that their true self may be exposed or misunderstood through their work, while Jung might relate this to the fear of confronting and integrating the shadow aspect of the psyche, which can be a difficult and fear-inducing process.