What do you think?
Rate this book
I Carry Your Heart With Me
I Carry Your Heart With Me is a children's adaptation of the beloved e. e. cummings poem, beautifully illustrated by Mati Rose McDonough. Showing the strong bond of love between mother and child, within nature and throughout life, Cummings' heartfelt words expressed through McDonough's lovely illustrations combine to create a fresh, yet classic, portrayal of love. First published by Liveright Publishing in 1952 in "Complete Poems: 1904-1962" by e. e. cummings, as " i carry your heart with me (i carry it in]," "I Carry Your Heart With Me" has become a classic and very popular poem over the years. McDonough's illustrations provide a new artistic interpretation on this familiar poem.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2014
About the author
E.E. Cummings
385 books3,962 followersEdward Estlin Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 1894. He began writing poems as early as 1904 and studied Latin and Greek at the Cambridge Latin High School.
He received his BA in 1915 and his MA in 1916, both from Harvard University. His studies there introduced him to the poetry of avant-garde writers, such as Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound.
In 1917, Cummings published an early selection of poems in the anthology Eight Harvard Poets. The same year, Cummings left the United States for France as a volunteer ambulance driver in World War I. Five months after his assignment, however, he and a friend were interned in a prison camp by the French authorities on suspicion of espionage (an experience recounted in his novel, The Enormous Room) for his outspoken anti-war convictions.
After the war, he settled into a life divided between houses in rural Connecticut and Greenwich Village, with frequent visits to Paris. He also traveled throughout Europe, meeting poets and artists, including Pablo Picasso, whose work he particularly admired.
In 1920, The Dial published seven poems by Cummings, including "Buffalo Bill ’s.” Serving as Cummings’ debut to a wider American audience, these “experiments” foreshadowed the synthetic cubist strategy Cummings would explore in the next few years.
In his work, Cummings experimented radically with form, punctuation, spelling, and syntax, abandoning traditional techniques and structures to create a new, highly idiosyncratic means of poetic expression. Later in his career, he was often criticized for settling into his signature style and not pressing his work toward further evolution. Nevertheless, he attained great popularity, especially among young readers, for the simplicity of his language, his playful mode and his attention to subjects such as war and sex.
The poet and critic Randall Jarrell once noted that Cummings is “one of the most individual poets who ever lived—and, though it sometimes seems so, it is not just his vices and exaggerations, the defects of his qualities, that make a writer popular. But, primarily, Mr. Cummings’s poems are loved because they are full of sentimentally, of sex, of more or less improper jokes, of elementary lyric insistence.”
During his lifetime, Cummings received a number of honors, including an Academy of American Poets Fellowship, two Guggenheim Fellowships, the Charles Eliot Norton Professorship at Harvard, the Bollingen Prize in Poetry in 1958, and a Ford Foundation grant.
At the time of his death, September 3, 1962, he was the second most widely read poet in the United States, after Robert Frost. He is buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
source: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/e-...
He received his BA in 1915 and his MA in 1916, both from Harvard University. His studies there introduced him to the poetry of avant-garde writers, such as Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound.
In 1917, Cummings published an early selection of poems in the anthology Eight Harvard Poets. The same year, Cummings left the United States for France as a volunteer ambulance driver in World War I. Five months after his assignment, however, he and a friend were interned in a prison camp by the French authorities on suspicion of espionage (an experience recounted in his novel, The Enormous Room) for his outspoken anti-war convictions.
After the war, he settled into a life divided between houses in rural Connecticut and Greenwich Village, with frequent visits to Paris. He also traveled throughout Europe, meeting poets and artists, including Pablo Picasso, whose work he particularly admired.
In 1920, The Dial published seven poems by Cummings, including "Buffalo Bill ’s.” Serving as Cummings’ debut to a wider American audience, these “experiments” foreshadowed the synthetic cubist strategy Cummings would explore in the next few years.
In his work, Cummings experimented radically with form, punctuation, spelling, and syntax, abandoning traditional techniques and structures to create a new, highly idiosyncratic means of poetic expression. Later in his career, he was often criticized for settling into his signature style and not pressing his work toward further evolution. Nevertheless, he attained great popularity, especially among young readers, for the simplicity of his language, his playful mode and his attention to subjects such as war and sex.
The poet and critic Randall Jarrell once noted that Cummings is “one of the most individual poets who ever lived—and, though it sometimes seems so, it is not just his vices and exaggerations, the defects of his qualities, that make a writer popular. But, primarily, Mr. Cummings’s poems are loved because they are full of sentimentally, of sex, of more or less improper jokes, of elementary lyric insistence.”
During his lifetime, Cummings received a number of honors, including an Academy of American Poets Fellowship, two Guggenheim Fellowships, the Charles Eliot Norton Professorship at Harvard, the Bollingen Prize in Poetry in 1958, and a Ford Foundation grant.
At the time of his death, September 3, 1962, he was the second most widely read poet in the United States, after Robert Frost. He is buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts.
source: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/e-...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
October 10, 2017
This is one of my favorite poems of all time, and although I know it is often read at weddings and in a romantic connotation, I have never related to it as much as I did after I lost a child. The comforting thought of i carry your heart is one I often repeated to myself, and I love that this is available as a children’s picture book now. My only slight critique is that I really wish it had been a book of the entirety of the poem. The art is lovely, and really, could there be anything better than reading my 5-year old to sleep with this and his telling me that it is pretty? Nope.
December 4, 2018
This poem "i carry your heart withith"(I carry it in) is a great poem because its about your loved one that you carry your heart with them. The literary device it has is personification "...a sun will always sing is you...". It is a great poem for you loved one.
January 5, 2023
I’m so in love that I might stop breathing
Drew a map on your bedroom ceiling
No I didn’t see the news
Drew a map on your bedroom ceiling
No I didn’t see the news
March 26, 2015
A beautifully written love poem, I Carry Your Heart With Me by: E.E. Cummings that has been around since the 50's has been adapted into this lovely children's book with illustrations by: Mati McDonough. Together, they take this poem to a place that is sure to warm your heart. If you know and love the poem, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
The love a mother has for her child is depicted in this book. It takes you on a mother's journey through her pregnancy and ultimately the growing up of her baby. She whispers to her baby and lets her in on the wonders of the world and the love she has for her. Cummings uses nature throughout her poem to help the reader visualize the deeper meanings of what she is trying to convey-the journey of life, the special place we leave in our hearts for love, the comings and goings of people, etc. Ultimately, love is at the center of the poem.
This is not typically what elementary aged children picture when they think of a poem. It would be a great book for introducing poems to a 2nd grade classroom or younger as it has quite a bit of repetition in it. However, it could also be used in 3rd-5th grade classroom as well as it leaves a lot of room for interpretation and discovery but provides pictures as a helpful guide.
The love a mother has for her child is depicted in this book. It takes you on a mother's journey through her pregnancy and ultimately the growing up of her baby. She whispers to her baby and lets her in on the wonders of the world and the love she has for her. Cummings uses nature throughout her poem to help the reader visualize the deeper meanings of what she is trying to convey-the journey of life, the special place we leave in our hearts for love, the comings and goings of people, etc. Ultimately, love is at the center of the poem.
This is not typically what elementary aged children picture when they think of a poem. It would be a great book for introducing poems to a 2nd grade classroom or younger as it has quite a bit of repetition in it. However, it could also be used in 3rd-5th grade classroom as well as it leaves a lot of room for interpretation and discovery but provides pictures as a helpful guide.
October 18, 2017
My husband and I selected this poem to have read during our wedding ceremony last fall, and a dear friend performed the reading for us, so needless to say - this piece is very dear to me. I was so thrilled when I found out that it was being released in board book form so that I could share it with the toddlers in my early literacy programs. The book is beautifully illustrated with gorgeous collage-style artwork that catches the eye and complements cummings' work. The illustrations take us on a journey from a mother cradling her pregnant belly to her little one's special childhood moments. Close readers will also notice that the book carries us through the seasons. Between the poem and the illustrations, there are many beautiful questions and discussions to be shared between caregiver and child.
June 11, 2018
I have always loved e.e. cummings poetry. I was a little confused about how his poetry could be put in a children's book. e.e. cummings took one poem and made it into a beautiful book. This is a poetry book that would be appropriate for all ages. It's about a mother and daughter relationship. We see this through the illustrations. The artwork is amazing. Some of the animals and people are put together in the form of a collage and abstract art. This book is beautiful in more ways than one.
January 31, 2019
One of cummings's nicer and more understandable poems chopped up to make room for illustrations. The slowing down doesn't hurt the rhythm too much and the pictures, done with mother/child love in mind, are charming. I can't think of better introduction to modern poetry.
(That you can do a board book introduction to modern poetry may in itself be a satire, but don't worry about that!)
(That you can do a board book introduction to modern poetry may in itself be a satire, but don't worry about that!)
April 22, 2015
This poem book is about the strong bond of love between a mother and her child. This poem is popular and is a heart melting one! I could feel the passion with each and every word.
Act: Write a poem for someone that they love.
Act: Write a poem for someone that they love.
November 26, 2014
A) I'm a sucker for Cummings' poetry, and B) I have all kinds of schmoopy mama feels now, so this book totally worked for me.
January 22, 2017
Wonderful illustrations that go along with e.e. cummings poem text. Highly recommend!
March 14, 2017
The only thing more adorable than this book is hearing my almost 3 year old "read" it aloud.
December 20, 2017
There is an enjoyable audio presentation of the poem at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF5H7...
November 13, 2022
I Carry Your Heart with Me by E.E. Cummings is a touching and heart-warming children’s poetry book that explores the themes of love, beauty, and connection.
The story portrays the deep love and connection that the mom feels for her child. Throughout their lives, she finds the beauty of their bond in the simplest things in nature: the moon, sun, and stars. She claims that their love is the secret of life—hidden behind everyday wonders, yet always present.
By reading this poem, children can learn to find beauty and pleasure in life’s simplest things: love and nature. They can learn how to empathize with the mother and child in this book and how to express their own form of love. Additionally, children can learn to adopt a more positive outlook. They can emulate the mother’s appreciation for nature and feel a sense of wonder as they observe the world around them.
This is a WOW book for me because of the beautiful message and connection to nature. I love the way Cummings intertwined the everyday phenomena with the idea of an ever-present bond between a mother and her child. Although there wasn’t a lot of text, the message, along with the illustrations, was clearly presented in a heartfelt way that resonated with me.
Cummings’ poem used repetition of the phrase “I carry your heart with me” to emphasize the strong connection that the mother and child felt. She felt her love for him in everything she saw and everywhere she went, particularly in nature. Through these connections, Cummings communicated that love is a part of human nature—inherent and intertwined. In addition, he concluded the story with a full-circle moment by restating “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart).” This conveys to the readers that despite the time that has passed and the things that have changed, her love for him remained constant.
I would consider this to be an example of an anti-bias book because the mother’s monologue felt authentic and truly captured her bond with her child. There were positive portrayals of their relationship, as well as affirming descriptions of how connected they felt. For example, she stated that their bond is “the root of the root and the bud of the bud.” Overall, this is a touching children’s poetry book that would be ideal for introducing love and connection to young readers.
The story portrays the deep love and connection that the mom feels for her child. Throughout their lives, she finds the beauty of their bond in the simplest things in nature: the moon, sun, and stars. She claims that their love is the secret of life—hidden behind everyday wonders, yet always present.
By reading this poem, children can learn to find beauty and pleasure in life’s simplest things: love and nature. They can learn how to empathize with the mother and child in this book and how to express their own form of love. Additionally, children can learn to adopt a more positive outlook. They can emulate the mother’s appreciation for nature and feel a sense of wonder as they observe the world around them.
This is a WOW book for me because of the beautiful message and connection to nature. I love the way Cummings intertwined the everyday phenomena with the idea of an ever-present bond between a mother and her child. Although there wasn’t a lot of text, the message, along with the illustrations, was clearly presented in a heartfelt way that resonated with me.
Cummings’ poem used repetition of the phrase “I carry your heart with me” to emphasize the strong connection that the mother and child felt. She felt her love for him in everything she saw and everywhere she went, particularly in nature. Through these connections, Cummings communicated that love is a part of human nature—inherent and intertwined. In addition, he concluded the story with a full-circle moment by restating “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart).” This conveys to the readers that despite the time that has passed and the things that have changed, her love for him remained constant.
I would consider this to be an example of an anti-bias book because the mother’s monologue felt authentic and truly captured her bond with her child. There were positive portrayals of their relationship, as well as affirming descriptions of how connected they felt. For example, she stated that their bond is “the root of the root and the bud of the bud.” Overall, this is a touching children’s poetry book that would be ideal for introducing love and connection to young readers.
June 22, 2020
I love this book!
January 5, 2021
I thought the book was good. I like how it interpreted the relationship between parent in child. I highly recommend this book.
April 6, 2022
I simply LOVE this poem. In the mood for poetry nowadays. ❤️
March 30, 2019
Mi hermana me dedicó este poema al mudarme para vivir sola, para estudiar, y ay. No sé por qué nunca lo escuché/leí antes. Es tan bonito. Extraño mucho a mi familia :'(
December 21, 2017
A beautifully illustrated board book of the lovely text by Cummings. Mati McDonough has imagined it as the story of a young pregnant mother who shows her daughter the wonders of the wider world. What makes this one special visually is the parallel stories of 2 other mothers with their offspring -- a bird and an elephant. The rich colors and textures found in the stunning collage artwork are worth several looks.
As pleasing for adults when sharing this as it will be for their tiny tots.
As pleasing for adults when sharing this as it will be for their tiny tots.
July 7, 2014
I think this book is going to need to be a gift for a new mother, or for my daughter with two of her own daughters! The poem is another love poem from e.e. cummings, and the mixed media illustrations of mother and child, whether human or elephant or bird will make you feel so good when you see them. It’s a joyful and loving treatment of the poem.
August 5, 2014
A wonderful way to introduce children to the unusual poetry of e.e. cummings. The illustrations capture a mother's love for her child growing up over the years, making this a cozy, heartwarming bedtime story. The artwork is an impressive, creative collage of mixed paper cutouts and textured drawings.
December 31, 2015
One of my favorite poems that I could read over and over. The artist that illustrated this version used mixed media for all the artwork. It's worth paging through and looking close at what was used to create the pictures. Plus you get the bonus of reading one of the best poems out there. I may have to buy this one.
March 22, 2019
I Carry Your Heart with Me is about a mother and daughter bond. The mother is there for the daughter from birth until her first outing on her own. There is a baby bird that emulates the growing and life cycle of the young girl. This book would make a great story for the toddler and/or preschool classrooms.
May 9, 2014
So sweet that I got chills. The poem is lovely on its own, but the beautiful artwork really takes it over the top. I enjoyed hearing this poem (or reading it, I suppose) outside the context of a wedding. It was nice to see the poem interpreted to be about the bond between mother and child.
July 11, 2014
This is a wonderful example of how a poem can become a lovely children's book. The artwork is beautiful, creative, and adds a dimension to the poem which will make it more understandable to little ones.
October 23, 2016
Aw... LOL! This is a lovely cheesy poem and I believe that the role of the brackets in it is to beautify it further. Loved it! It gave me the feeling of holding someone's heart! Utterly, utterly fascinating!
May 10, 2017
This is one of my favourite E. E. Cummings poems. This is a delightful picture book that illustrates the poem and moves through from a mother in pregnancy, to baby in arms, toddler, and finally running off to school.
May 29, 2018
Very simple, very sweet book. The illustrations are unique and whimsical. A wonderful book for anyone, but would really make a nice book for an expectant mother (baby shower). It would also be a great read aloud when discussing poetry with primary age students.
January 15, 2019
Gorgeous. The text of one of cummings' best known poems (and one of my favorites) beautifully illustrated in collage form celebrating a mother and child. Lovely to share with babies and toddlers and an easy way for a mama to keep a favorite poem close by.
December 30, 2017
Gorgeous interpretation of cummings’s famous poem as a reflection on motherhood.
May 31, 2018
A beautiful poem which shows the strong bond between mother and children.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews