Heart and Mind 

Edith Sitwell

That the heart and the mind can not be one has been brought out in “Heart and Mind” by Edith Sitwell.

She brings the Lion and Lioness to life and blood of a human being and makes them converse. “Raging fire” brings out animal power and passion – focuses on the primitive and raw nature of creatures in the jungle.

The first two lines are about acceptance of death as the Lion and  Lioness will then be “dust” bereft of “heat” which is passion of the youth.

The lion asks lioness to “remember” their union in “blood and bone”  and makes the colors of red and white come alive against “amber” and “dust”. The use of the colors contrasts feelings and emotions of life in “red” and death  in “dust”.  The lion wants the lioness to “remember” that their union will remain till after death and is immortal. The color of “amber” against “dust” contrast beauty against death.

The strength, vitality and energy of youth comes to the fore in the “rippling of bright muscles”. Since the lion is talking about their death they will “mate no more” which is to say that their union will not be possible till such time that the “fire” which is heart and the “moon” which is the “mind” are “one”. The poet also refers to objectivity of the “mind” which is “cold” and the subjectivity of the “heart” which is “fire” becoming one in death that is “dust”. Despite their strength and power all will become “dust” and what will remain is in memories only thus the author uses the word “remember”.

Death personified in “Skeleton” transcends “Time”. The “heat” of the “Sun” is “mourning” – this refers to power of passion which is an overwhelming emotion and can kill – thus the use of the word. “Time” is ultimate, nobody can defeat it.

The poet refers to the “Samson” and “Hercules”, known for their strength and heroism. Yet, “flames of heart” were responsible for their downfall and “consumed” them. “The mind is a but a foolish wind” portrays the image of person who has fallen in love and the “mind” too gives in and becomes “foolish”. That heart and love can take over and destroy intellect become clear here. The is powerful yet destroys the strongest of men, makes their mind weak and feeble.

The “sun” representative of the heart and emotion says to the “moon” representative of cold logic that only when “time is done” will the passion and emotion of the “heart” and the “mind” be unified. The phrase “a lonely white crone” creates the image of an old cranky thin woman. The “king” conjures the image of power and passion which is now “in a dark wood” – that is hell after death. The words “golden armor” suggests a royal protective shield  which now is in a coffin “dark wood”. Words like “wood’ can be interpreted by the reader at many levels, one death and that too beyond death in hell.

Their love is “hopeless” as the union of the heart and mind is impossible, which is the theme of the poem.