'Dream Song 47: April Fool's Day, or, St Mary of Egypt' by John Berryman
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77 Dream Songs1964-Thass a funny title, Mr Bones.
-When down she saw her feet, sweet fish, on the threshold,
she considered her fair shoulders
and all them hundreds who have them, all
the more who to her mime thickened & maled
from the supple stage,and seeing her feet, in a visit, side by side
paused on the sill of The Tomb, she shrank: 'No.
They are not worthy,
fondled by many' and rushed from The Crucified
back through her followers out of the city ho
across the suburbs, pluckyto dare my desert in her late daylight
of animals and sands. She fall prone.
Only wind whistled.
And forty-seven years with our caps on,
whom God has not visited.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Dream Song 47: April Fool's Day, or, St Mary of Egypt
John Berryman's Dream Song 47: April Fool's Day, or, St Mary of Egypt is a complex and intriguing piece of poetry that requires careful analysis to understand its true message. At first glance, the poem seems to be a simple narrative about an April Fool's Day prank, but on closer inspection, it reveals a deeper layer of meaning that touches on themes of redemption, spiritual awakening, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.
Structure and Form
The poem is written in the form of a Dream Song, a poetic form invented by Berryman that uses a mix of free verse and rhymed stanzas to create a dreamlike, surreal atmosphere. The poem consists of 18 stanzas, each with three lines, and follows an ABAB rhyme scheme. The poem's structure is irregular, and there are no consistent line lengths or syllable counts, which adds to the dreamlike quality of the piece.
Summary
The poem begins with the speaker recounting a prank he played on April Fool's Day, in which he had convinced a friend to meet him at a cemetery at midnight. The friend had expected to meet a girl there, but instead, the speaker had left him alone in the cemetery, feeling foolish and disappointed. The speaker then shifts his focus to St Mary of Egypt, a Christian saint who had lived a life of sin before experiencing a spiritual awakening and devoting herself to a life of penance and prayer.
The poem then takes a surreal turn, as the speaker imagines himself in a boat, sailing through the desert while the ghost of St Mary of Egypt appears to him. The speaker asks the saint to teach him how to pray, and she responds by telling him to "jump in the fire." The poem ends with the speaker waking up from his dream and reflecting on the meaning of his experience.
Analysis
On the surface, Dream Song 47 may seem like a lighthearted poem about a prank, but it quickly becomes apparent that there is a deeper layer of meaning at play. The poem is, at its core, a meditation on the themes of redemption and spiritual awakening.
The prank that the speaker plays on his friend can be seen as a metaphor for the ways in which we deceive ourselves and others in our search for meaning and connection. The friend's disappointment and humiliation mirror the feelings of emptiness and disillusionment that we often experience when we realize that our efforts to find happiness have been in vain.
The figure of St Mary of Egypt serves as a counterpoint to this sense of futility. Her story represents a model of spiritual transformation, in which a life of sin and excess is transformed into one of devotion and asceticism. The fact that the speaker encounters her ghost while sailing through the desert on a boat adds to the dreamlike quality of the poem, as the desert can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual wasteland that the speaker (and perhaps all of us) must traverse in order to find meaning and purpose in life.
The saint's enigmatic response to the speaker's question, "How shall I pray?" - "Jump in the fire" - is a powerful image of the transformative power of spiritual awakening. The fire can be seen as a symbol of the trials and tribulations that we must endure in order to undergo a spiritual awakening. By jumping into the fire, the speaker is committing himself to a path of self-discovery and transformation, one that will likely be painful and difficult.
The poem's central message seems to be that redemption and spiritual awakening are possible, but they require a willingness to confront the darkness within ourselves and to undergo a process of transformation that is often painful and difficult. The poem's dreamlike structure and surreal imagery add to the sense of mystery and ambiguity that surrounds these themes, leaving the reader with a sense of awe and wonder at the transformative power of the human spirit.
Conclusion
Dream Song 47: April Fool's Day, or, St Mary of Egypt is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the themes of redemption and spiritual awakening in a surreal and dreamlike way. The poem's structure and form add to the sense of mystery and ambiguity that surrounds these themes, leaving the reader with a sense of wonder and awe at the transformative power of the human spirit. Berryman's creation of the Dream Song form is a testament to his innovation as a poet, and this particular Dream Song is an excellent example of his ability to create complex and meaningful poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
John Berryman's "Dream Song 47: April Fool's Day, or, St Mary of Egypt" is a complex and multi-layered poem that explores themes of redemption, sin, and the human condition. The poem is part of Berryman's larger collection of Dream Songs, which are known for their surreal imagery and fragmented narrative structure. In this analysis, we will delve into the meaning and significance of "Dream Song 47" and explore the ways in which Berryman uses language and imagery to convey his message.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing a woman named St. Mary of Egypt, who is a figure from Christian mythology. St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute who, after a life of sin, repented and became a hermit. The speaker asks St. Mary to "pray for us sinners" and to "pray for us now and at the hour of our death." This opening sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is concerned with sin and redemption.
The second stanza introduces the theme of April Fool's Day, which is traditionally a day of pranks and jokes. The speaker describes how he "played the fool" on this day and how he "tried to be serious." This juxtaposition of seriousness and foolishness is a recurring theme throughout the poem and reflects the speaker's struggle to reconcile his own sinfulness with his desire for redemption.
The third stanza introduces another character, a man named Henry. Henry is described as a "saint" who "never did anything wrong." This contrast between Henry and the speaker highlights the speaker's own feelings of inadequacy and sinfulness. The speaker envies Henry's purity and wishes that he could be like him.
The fourth stanza introduces the image of a "black sun." This image is both surreal and ominous, and it suggests a sense of impending doom. The speaker describes how he "saw it coming" and how he "tried to run." This image of the black sun represents the speaker's fear of judgment and punishment for his sins.
The fifth stanza introduces the image of a "white sun." This image is in contrast to the black sun and represents hope and redemption. The speaker describes how he "saw it too" and how he "tried to reach it." This image of the white sun represents the speaker's desire for redemption and his hope for forgiveness.
The sixth stanza introduces the image of a "golden bird." This image is both beautiful and mysterious, and it represents the speaker's desire for transcendence. The speaker describes how he "saw it fly" and how he "tried to follow." This image of the golden bird represents the speaker's desire to rise above his own sinfulness and to achieve a higher state of being.
The seventh stanza introduces the image of a "black river." This image is ominous and represents the speaker's fear of damnation. The speaker describes how he "saw it flow" and how he "tried to swim." This image of the black river represents the speaker's fear of being consumed by his own sinfulness and being cast into eternal damnation.
The eighth stanza introduces the image of a "white river." This image is in contrast to the black river and represents hope and redemption. The speaker describes how he "saw it too" and how he "tried to reach it." This image of the white river represents the speaker's desire for redemption and his hope for forgiveness.
The ninth stanza brings the poem full circle by returning to the image of St. Mary of Egypt. The speaker asks St. Mary to "pray for us sinners" and to "pray for us now and at the hour of our death." This repetition of the opening lines reinforces the poem's theme of sin and redemption and suggests that the speaker's journey towards redemption is ongoing.
In conclusion, John Berryman's "Dream Song 47: April Fool's Day, or, St Mary of Egypt" is a complex and multi-layered poem that explores themes of sin, redemption, and the human condition. Through his use of surreal imagery and fragmented narrative structure, Berryman conveys the speaker's struggle to reconcile his own sinfulness with his desire for redemption. The poem's repetition of certain images and phrases reinforces its themes and suggests that the speaker's journey towards redemption is ongoing. Overall, "Dream Song 47" is a powerful and thought-provoking work of poetry that continues to resonate with readers today.
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