Grammar behind “Whatever what is is is what I want.”

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP





.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;







up vote
2
down vote

favorite
1












Here is the poem:




Prayer, by Galway Kinnell



Whatever happens. Whatever
what is is is what

I want. Only that. But that.




I came across this poem as an interesting example of English grammar and how it is actually possible to have three "is" in a row. Can anyone explain the poem's syntax, especially the sentence:




Whatever what is, is is what I want.







sentence-structure syntax poetry







share|improve this question





























    up vote
    2
    down vote

    favorite
    1












    Here is the poem:




    Prayer, by Galway Kinnell



    Whatever happens. Whatever
    what is is is what

    I want. Only that. But that.




    I came across this poem as an interesting example of English grammar and how it is actually possible to have three "is" in a row. Can anyone explain the poem's syntax, especially the sentence:




    Whatever what is, is is what I want.







    sentence-structure syntax poetry







    share|improve this question

























      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite
      1









      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite
      1






      1





      Here is the poem:




      Prayer, by Galway Kinnell



      Whatever happens. Whatever
      what is is is what

      I want. Only that. But that.




      I came across this poem as an interesting example of English grammar and how it is actually possible to have three "is" in a row. Can anyone explain the poem's syntax, especially the sentence:




      Whatever what is, is is what I want.







      sentence-structure syntax poetry







      share|improve this question















      Here is the poem:




      Prayer, by Galway Kinnell



      Whatever happens. Whatever
      what is is is what

      I want. Only that. But that.




      I came across this poem as an interesting example of English grammar and how it is actually possible to have three "is" in a row. Can anyone explain the poem's syntax, especially the sentence:




      Whatever what is, is is what I want.







      sentence-structure syntax poetry




      sentence-structure syntax poetry






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 1 hour ago









      Tᴚoɯɐuo

      96.1k671159




      96.1k671159










      asked 4 hours ago









      Jay A. Little

      2,462213




      2,462213




















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          1
          down vote













          I believe this can be understood by adding some missing punctuation.




          what is, is




          This is roughly expressing the idea that things are what they are. In other words, que sera, sera or whatever will be, will be.



          What is is may also be a restatement of happens from the first line.



          So:




          Whatever happens. Whatever

          (what is, is) is what

          I want. Only that. But that.




          If this interpretation is correct, then I believe the author is trying to express that they want to have the ability to accept things as they happen.



          This is somewhat reminiscent of the Serenity Prayer (Wikipedia), which starts as follows:




          God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

          Courage to change the things I can,

          And wisdom to know the difference.







          share|improve this answer




















          • I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
            – Jay A. Little
            1 hour ago

















          up vote
          1
          down vote














          Whatever happens. Whatever



          what is is is what



          I want. Only that. But that.




          Whatever "what is" is, is what I want.



          (Second cup of coffee to the rescue.)



          Although is appears three times in a row, it is copular only once, in is what I want.



          In "What is", is means exists.



          And the second is (Whatever what is is) means happens to be.



          Whatever that which exists happens to be is what I want.






          share|improve this answer






















            Your Answer







            StackExchange.ready(function()
            var channelOptions =
            tags: "".split(" "),
            id: "481"
            ;
            initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

            StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
            // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
            if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
            StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
            createEditor();
            );

            else
            createEditor();

            );

            function createEditor()
            StackExchange.prepareEditor(
            heartbeatType: 'answer',
            convertImagesToLinks: false,
            noModals: false,
            showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
            reputationToPostImages: null,
            bindNavPrevention: true,
            postfix: "",
            noCode: true, onDemand: true,
            discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
            ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
            );



            );













             

            draft saved


            draft discarded


















            StackExchange.ready(
            function ()
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f181809%2fgrammar-behind-whatever-what-is-is-is-what-i-want%23new-answer', 'question_page');

            );

            Post as a guest

















            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes








            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes








            up vote
            1
            down vote













            I believe this can be understood by adding some missing punctuation.




            what is, is




            This is roughly expressing the idea that things are what they are. In other words, que sera, sera or whatever will be, will be.



            What is is may also be a restatement of happens from the first line.



            So:




            Whatever happens. Whatever

            (what is, is) is what

            I want. Only that. But that.




            If this interpretation is correct, then I believe the author is trying to express that they want to have the ability to accept things as they happen.



            This is somewhat reminiscent of the Serenity Prayer (Wikipedia), which starts as follows:




            God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

            Courage to change the things I can,

            And wisdom to know the difference.







            share|improve this answer




















            • I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
              – Jay A. Little
              1 hour ago














            up vote
            1
            down vote













            I believe this can be understood by adding some missing punctuation.




            what is, is




            This is roughly expressing the idea that things are what they are. In other words, que sera, sera or whatever will be, will be.



            What is is may also be a restatement of happens from the first line.



            So:




            Whatever happens. Whatever

            (what is, is) is what

            I want. Only that. But that.




            If this interpretation is correct, then I believe the author is trying to express that they want to have the ability to accept things as they happen.



            This is somewhat reminiscent of the Serenity Prayer (Wikipedia), which starts as follows:




            God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

            Courage to change the things I can,

            And wisdom to know the difference.







            share|improve this answer




















            • I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
              – Jay A. Little
              1 hour ago












            up vote
            1
            down vote










            up vote
            1
            down vote









            I believe this can be understood by adding some missing punctuation.




            what is, is




            This is roughly expressing the idea that things are what they are. In other words, que sera, sera or whatever will be, will be.



            What is is may also be a restatement of happens from the first line.



            So:




            Whatever happens. Whatever

            (what is, is) is what

            I want. Only that. But that.




            If this interpretation is correct, then I believe the author is trying to express that they want to have the ability to accept things as they happen.



            This is somewhat reminiscent of the Serenity Prayer (Wikipedia), which starts as follows:




            God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

            Courage to change the things I can,

            And wisdom to know the difference.







            share|improve this answer












            I believe this can be understood by adding some missing punctuation.




            what is, is




            This is roughly expressing the idea that things are what they are. In other words, que sera, sera or whatever will be, will be.



            What is is may also be a restatement of happens from the first line.



            So:




            Whatever happens. Whatever

            (what is, is) is what

            I want. Only that. But that.




            If this interpretation is correct, then I believe the author is trying to express that they want to have the ability to accept things as they happen.



            This is somewhat reminiscent of the Serenity Prayer (Wikipedia), which starts as follows:




            God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

            Courage to change the things I can,

            And wisdom to know the difference.








            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 3 hours ago









            Jason Bassford

            9,5551928




            9,5551928











            • I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
              – Jay A. Little
              1 hour ago
















            • I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
              – Jay A. Little
              1 hour ago















            I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
            – Jay A. Little
            1 hour ago




            I think you are right about the meaning, and thanks for the correction of punctuation. The answer is great for the semantics so I hope you don't erase it, but I'm looking for more explanation of the syntax involved.
            – Jay A. Little
            1 hour ago












            up vote
            1
            down vote














            Whatever happens. Whatever



            what is is is what



            I want. Only that. But that.




            Whatever "what is" is, is what I want.



            (Second cup of coffee to the rescue.)



            Although is appears three times in a row, it is copular only once, in is what I want.



            In "What is", is means exists.



            And the second is (Whatever what is is) means happens to be.



            Whatever that which exists happens to be is what I want.






            share|improve this answer


























              up vote
              1
              down vote














              Whatever happens. Whatever



              what is is is what



              I want. Only that. But that.




              Whatever "what is" is, is what I want.



              (Second cup of coffee to the rescue.)



              Although is appears three times in a row, it is copular only once, in is what I want.



              In "What is", is means exists.



              And the second is (Whatever what is is) means happens to be.



              Whatever that which exists happens to be is what I want.






              share|improve this answer
























                up vote
                1
                down vote










                up vote
                1
                down vote










                Whatever happens. Whatever



                what is is is what



                I want. Only that. But that.




                Whatever "what is" is, is what I want.



                (Second cup of coffee to the rescue.)



                Although is appears three times in a row, it is copular only once, in is what I want.



                In "What is", is means exists.



                And the second is (Whatever what is is) means happens to be.



                Whatever that which exists happens to be is what I want.






                share|improve this answer















                Whatever happens. Whatever



                what is is is what



                I want. Only that. But that.




                Whatever "what is" is, is what I want.



                (Second cup of coffee to the rescue.)



                Although is appears three times in a row, it is copular only once, in is what I want.



                In "What is", is means exists.



                And the second is (Whatever what is is) means happens to be.



                Whatever that which exists happens to be is what I want.







                share|improve this answer














                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer








                edited 31 mins ago

























                answered 1 hour ago









                Tᴚoɯɐuo

                96.1k671159




                96.1k671159



























                     

                    draft saved


                    draft discarded















































                     


                    draft saved


                    draft discarded














                    StackExchange.ready(
                    function ()
                    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f181809%2fgrammar-behind-whatever-what-is-is-is-what-i-want%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                    );

                    Post as a guest
































































                    Comments

                    Post a Comment

                    Popular posts from this blog

                    What does second last employer means? [closed]

                    Image
                    Clash Royale CLAN TAG #URR8PPP .everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0; up vote -3 down vote favorite Say, for example I have worked in the following companies, Company A => 2010 - 2011 Company B => 2011 - 2012 Company C => 2012 - Till Date Company D => Have offer Now assume Company D is asking to submit documents from my second last employer. So from the list of companies given, which company would be qualified as second last employer? software-industry employer share | improve this question asked Aug 10 '14 at 5:16 Rajaprabhu Aravindasamy 559 1 6 13 closed as off-topic by Jim G., jmort253 ♦ Aug 11 '14 at 1:58 This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason: "Questions seeking advice on company-specific regulations, agreements, or policies should be directed to your manager or HR department. Questions that address...
                    Read more

                    List of Gilmore Girls characters

                    Image
                    The season three cast—(Back row): Lane, Michel, Paris, Emily, Richard, Sookie, Miss Patty, Kirk; Front row: Jess, Luke, Lorelai, Rory, Dean This is a list of characters for the comedy-drama television series Gilmore Girls . Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Lorelai Gilmore 1.2 Rory Gilmore 1.3 Sookie St. James 1.4 Lane Kim 1.5 Michel Gerard 1.6 Luke Danes 1.7 Emily Gilmore 1.8 Richard Gilmore 1.9 Paris Geller 1.10 Dean Forester 1.11 Jess Mariano 1.12 Kirk Gleason 1.13 Jason Stiles 1.14 Logan Huntzberger 2 Major recurring characters 2.1 Christopher Hayden 2.2 Jackson Belleville 2.3 Mrs. Kim 2.4 Tristin DuGray 2.5 Max Medina 2.6 Taylor Doose 2.7 Dave Rygalski 2.8 Marty 3 Recurring characters 3.1 Stars Hollow 3.2 Chilton 3.3 Yale 3.4 Other 4 Notable guest stars 5 Unseen characters 6 Notes 7 References Main characters Actor Character Appearances Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7 A Year in the Life Lauren Graham Lorelai Gilmore...
                    Read more

                    One-line joke

                    A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy - concise and meaningful. [1] Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g. Jimmy Carr, Tommy Cooper, Rodney Dangerfield, Norm Macdonald, Ken Dodd, Stewart Francis, Zach Galifianakis, Mitch Hedberg, Anthony Jeselnik, Milton Jones, Shappi Khorsandi, Jay London, Mark Linn-Baker, Demetri Martin, Groucho Marx, Dan Mintz, Emo Philips, Tim Vine, Steven Wright and Henny Youngman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. [ citation needed ] Many fictional characters are also known to deliver one-liners, including James Bond, who usually includes pithy and laconic quips after disposing of a villain. [ citation needed ] Examples "A baby seal walks into a club." "A dyslexic man walks into a bra." (Anonymous) "There are three types of people, those who can count and those who can't." "Venison's dear, isn't it?" (Jimmy Carr) "An escala...
                    Read more