i carry your heart with me(i carry it in / my heart).
-- Speaker (Lines 1 – 2)

Importance: These lines introduce “I Carry Your Heart With Me,” and are significant because they establish the speaker, the point of view, and the central theme of the poem. They are repeated here after appearing first in the title, and they appear once more at the very end of the poem. This opening establishes the imagery of connection and two hearts becoming one. These lines also introduce the poem’s pattern of parentheses, which are important in creating two working voices through which to understand the poem.

i fear / no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet).”
-- Speaker (Lines 5 – 6)

Importance: After the speaker ties themself to their lover, these lines continue the serenade. But the speaker presents a red herring, however, in line 5: “i fear.” This moment of vulnerability appears by itself, and as such it might lead readers to think...