There is some kiss we want
with our whole lives
a touch of Spirit on the body
Seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.
And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild Darling!
At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face into mine.
Breathe into me.
Close the language-door,
and open the love-window.
The moon won’t use the door,
only the window.
The timeless wisdom and profound beauty of Jalal ad-Din Mohammad Rumi, the celebrated classical Persian mystic and poet, continue to resonate across centuries. Among his many cherished works, “Some Kiss We Want,” as translated by Coleman Barks, stands as a powerful exploration of desire, connection, and spiritual yearning. This poem, found in Rumi’s collection The Book of Love, captivates readers with its evocative imagery and its deep insights into the human heart’s most profound longings. It offers a rich tapestry for understanding the intricate dance between the physical and the spiritual, the spoken and the unspoken.
Understanding “Some Kiss We Want”: A Summary and Central Idea
“Some Kiss We Want” delves into the universal human desire for a profound and all-enencompassing connection, a yearning that transcends mere physical intimacy to touch the very essence of one’s being. The poem’s central idea revolves around the concept of a spiritual union so intense that it becomes the driving force of an entire existence. This longing is not a fleeting wish but a lifelong pursuit, a fundamental need for a “touch of Spirit on the body.”
Rumi illustrates this deep yearning through vivid comparisons drawn from the natural world. The relentless desire of “Seawater begs the pearl / to break its shell” mirrors humanity’s persistent quest for inner revelation and profound connection. Similarly, the passionate need of “the lily, how passionately / it needs some wild Darling!” emphasizes an innate, almost desperate, drive towards union and fulfillment. These natural metaphors establish the intensity and inherent nature of the speaker’s desire.
The poem culminates in a deeply personal plea, as the speaker opens a window at night, inviting the moon to “come / and press its face into mine. / Breathe into me.” This act symbolizes a desire for an ethereal, life-giving connection that bypasses conventional barriers. The moon, often a symbol of distant beauty and spiritual illumination, is sought not through formal means but through an open, vulnerable invitation. This leads to the poem’s most profound statement: “Close the language-door, / and open the love-window.” This powerful directive suggests that true, meaningful connection transcends the limitations of words and intellectual discourse, advocating instead for direct, intuitive, and heartfelt experience. The moon, representing this higher form of connection, “won’t use the door, / only the window,” reinforcing the idea that authentic intimacy requires openness and a willingness to bypass superficial communication.
Exploring the Core Themes in “Some Kiss We Want”
The poem “Some Kiss We Want” is rich with thematic depth, inviting readers to contemplate the nature of desire, connection, and spiritual awakening. Its primary themes include the profound yearning for spiritual union, the limitations of language, and the power of non-verbal communication.
The Profound Yearning for Spiritual Union
At its heart, the poem expresses an intense, lifelong desire for a connection that goes beyond the physical. This is not merely a romantic longing but a spiritual quest for wholeness and transcendence. The opening lines immediately establish this profound need:
There is some kiss we want
with our whole lives
a touch of Spirit on the body
This “kiss” is presented as an ultimate fulfillment, a merging of the divine with the corporeal. The imagery of “Seawater begs the pearl / to break its shell” further emphasizes this theme of an inherent, almost cosmic, drive towards revelation and union. The pearl, hidden within its shell, can be seen as the soul or true self, waiting to be unveiled through this profound connection. The lily’s passionate need for a “wild Darling” reinforces the idea that this yearning is natural, instinctual, and deeply embedded in existence.
The Limitations of Language
A significant theme explored in the poem is the inadequacy of language to fully capture or facilitate true spiritual or emotional connection. While words can express desire, they often fall short in conveying the depth of experience. Rumi powerfully articulates this limitation:
Close the language-door,
and open the love-window.
The “language-door” represents conventional communication, intellectual understanding, and the structured, often restrictive, nature of words. It suggests that relying solely on language can create barriers rather than bridges to genuine intimacy. This theme encourages a shift from verbal expression to a more direct, intuitive, and experiential mode of connection.
The Power of Non-Verbal Communication and Direct Experience
In contrast to the limitations of language, the poem champions the power of non-verbal communication and direct, unmediated experience. The “love-window” symbolizes an open, vulnerable, and immediate pathway to connection, bypassing the formalities and potential misunderstandings of words. The speaker’s invitation to the moon is a plea for such a connection:
At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face into mine.
Breathe into me.
This imagery evokes a sense of intimate, silent communion, a shared breath that transcends the need for words. The moon’s preference to enter “only the window” reinforces the idea that profound connection operates on a different plane, one that values openness, presence, and a willingness to receive without the filter of language. This theme celebrates the depth and authenticity found in unspoken understanding and shared spiritual presence.
Literary Devices in “Some Kiss We Want”
Rumi masterfully employs various literary devices to enrich the meaning and enhance the emotional impact of “Some Kiss We Want.” These tools contribute to the poem’s enduring beauty and its ability to resonate deeply with readers.
Imagery
Imagery is the use of descriptive language that appeals to the five senses, creating vivid mental pictures for the reader. Rumi’s poem is replete with powerful imagery that makes the abstract concept of spiritual yearning tangible:
- The “touch of Spirit on the body” evokes a sensory experience of divine presence.
- “Seawater begs the pearl / to break its shell” creates a dynamic visual of natural forces at work, symbolizing an intense, persistent desire.
- The “lily, how passionately / it needs some wild Darling!” paints a picture of vibrant, natural longing.
- The act of opening “the window / and ask the moon to come / and press its face into mine” creates a tender, intimate scene, appealing to touch and sight.
These images collectively build a luxurious and sensual experience, drawing the reader into the speaker’s profound emotional landscape.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as,” stating that one thing *is* another. The entire poem can be read as an extended metaphor for the human desire for spiritual union and divine love. The “kiss” is not merely a physical act but a profound symbol of complete merging and transcendence. Furthermore, the “language-door” and “love-window” serve as powerful metaphors:
Close the language-door,
and open the love-window.
Here, a door represents conventional, often restrictive, communication, while a window symbolizes an open, direct, and vulnerable pathway to genuine connection. This metaphorical contrast is central to the poem’s message about authentic intimacy.
Symbolism
Symbolism involves the use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else. Several elements in “Some Kiss We Want” carry significant symbolic weight:
- The kiss symbolizes ultimate spiritual union, divine love, and the merging of souls.
- The pearl, hidden within its shell, can symbolize the inner self, truth, or spiritual essence waiting to be revealed or liberated through profound connection.
- The lily, with its passionate need, symbolizes natural, inherent desire and beauty.
- The moon often symbolizes ethereal beauty, spiritual illumination, the divine, or a distant, yet deeply desired, object of spiritual longing. Its invitation to “press its face into mine” suggests a desire for direct, intimate communion with the divine or a higher consciousness.
Personification
Personification is attributing human qualities or actions to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. Rumi uses personification to imbue nature with human-like desire:
Seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.
The “seawater begs” gives the natural element a human capacity for pleading and intense desire, making the natural world a mirror for the speaker’s own profound yearning.
Poetic Devices in “Some Kiss We Want”
Beyond its literary depth, “Some Kiss We Want” also showcases Rumi’s skillful use of poetic devices that contribute to its musicality, rhythm, and overall aesthetic appeal.
Diction and Tone
Rumi’s choice of words, or diction, is precise and evocative, contributing to a tone that is both passionate and mystical. Words such as “Spirit,” “passionately,” “Darling,” and “love-window” create an atmosphere of deep yearning, reverence, and spiritual seeking. The overall tone is one of intense longing, vulnerability, and a profound sense of hope for ultimate connection, inviting the reader into a contemplative and emotionally charged space.
Free Verse
The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not adhere to a strict rhyme scheme or a regular metrical pattern. This choice allows Rumi, through Barks’ translation, to prioritize the natural rhythm of speech and the emotional flow of the ideas over traditional poetic constraints. The absence of a rigid structure gives the poem a sense of organic unfolding, mirroring the unconstrained nature of the spiritual longing it describes. This freedom allows the powerful imagery and thematic depth to take center stage without being confined by formal rules.
Enjambment
Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause or punctuation. This device creates a sense of flow and urgency, often mirroring the speaker’s breathless desire or the continuous nature of the thought:
At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face into mine.
The lines flow seamlessly into one another, propelling the reader forward and reflecting the relentless, uninterrupted nature of the speaker’s plea for connection. The lack of punctuation at the end of these lines encourages a continuous reading, emphasizing the unbroken stream of desire.
Sound Devices: Assonance, Alliteration, and Consonance
Rumi subtly employs sound devices to enhance the poem’s musicality and emphasize certain phrases:
- Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words. The repeated “o” sound in “a touch of Spirit on the body” creates a flowing, resonant quality, contributing to the poem’s lyrical feel.
- Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. The “w” sound in “some kiss we want” subtly draws attention to the central desire, adding a gentle emphasis.
- Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words. The repetition of the “l” sound in “with our whole lives” and the “s” sound in “There is some kiss we want” creates a sense of cohesion and a subtle rhythm, binding the lines together sonically.
The Enduring Message of “Some Kiss We Want”
“Some Kiss We Want” remains a profound and deeply moving poem that speaks to the universal human experience of longing for connection. Rumi, through Coleman Barks’ evocative translation, crafts a piece that celebrates the intensity of spiritual desire and challenges conventional modes of communication. The poem’s rich tapestry of imagery, metaphor, and symbolism, combined with its fluid free verse, creates an immersive experience for the reader. It ultimately serves as a powerful reminder that the most authentic and transformative connections often lie beyond the realm of words, found instead in the open, vulnerable space of the “love-window.” This enduring message of seeking profound union continues to inspire and resonate, making “Some Kiss We Want” a timeless exploration of the heart’s deepest yearnings.