Cullen, keats, and the privileged liar

Pride melds with pomp in "Only the Polished Skeleton," which informs us

The truth to be fought against is the truth of our mortality, our "dust." Perhaps we are to tell ourselves that we will live on after our physical death. Perhaps we are to offer ourselves immortality in the form of fame, or lasting meaningful accomplishments. Whatever the case, we must "deceive" ourselves into thinking we are more than we really are. "Polish" implies some sort of pomp or gilding, something not essential to the object itself but, rather, an added-on attribute that can make that object appear brighter and healthier. Surprisingly, here, is the word "logic" to describe the sort of means by which we can fool ourselves. One might think that irrational dreaming is more suited toward the producing of illusions, but it seems that logic can assist us just as well. Perhaps this "logic" is a type of stylized rationalization or convincing-of-oneself rather than inductive reasoning from direct experience. Whatever the case, lies enable us to smooth over the cold, brutal harshness of reality. Lies provide color and decor as well as hope and resolve.

Our second type of privileged liars are young lovers. In Endymion, Keats's title character accepts love with an Indian Maid, only to find that this Maid is actually his ideal love, the goddess Diana. The illusion of the Maid helps bring Endymion to his greatest happiness. In The Eve of St. Agnes, Porphyro wins Madeline by pretending to be a figment of her dream, thereby winning her trust so he can take her away from a "cold" life of chastity. In Lamia, Lycias has a loving relationship with Lamia, who is actually a snake-woman wearing an illusion of humanity. When her spell is broken by the "cold" philosopher Apollonius, the results are disastrous. All these lovers are happiest when fooled, and all those who lied to them did so with good intentions.6

Cullen treats lying and lied-to lovers in more depth than does Keats. In "Wisdom Cometh With the Years" we hear the voice of a young would-be lover, sensitive and brave. He cries:

Let me be lavish of my tears,

And dream that false is true;

Though wisdom cometh with the years,

The barren days come, too. (13-16)

Cullen's Marvell/Herrick-inspired 'go-out-and-love-while-you-- can' poems are well known, but little attention has been paid to the elements of untruth that are so often involved in them. Here, the lover will intentionally "dream that false is true" because life is too short to waste time brooding over unhappy realities. The longer we live, it seems, the unhappier we become, so we must use our happiness when we can. Similar to "Wisdom Cometh" is "Nocturne":

There are two things worth noting here. One is that the lies are all of the type that make things seem better than they really are. We do not see lies that make things worse, or mere lies for the sake of fancification. The other is that the speaker is perfectly aware that he is being lied to. Indeed, he makes himself ready and "receptive" for lies to come his way. He seems to know all the possible ways one might lie-with craftiness, slyness, deception. Perhaps he has told many lies of his own, and without ill intent. Like the speakers of "Heritage" and "Wisdom Cometh," this speaker's knowledge of the truth does not keep him from the soothing balm of a lie.