'Dream Song 13: God bless Henry' by John Berryman

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77 Dream Songs1964God bless Henry. He lived like a rat,
with a thatch of hair on his head
in the beginning.
Henry was not a coward.Much.
He never deserted anything; instead
he stuck, when things like pity were thinning.So may be Henry was a human being.
Let's investigate that.
... We did; okay.
He is a human American man.
That's true.My lass is braking.
My brass is aching.Come & diminish me, & map my way.God's Henry's enemy. We're in business ... Why,
what business must be clear.
A cornering.
I couldn't feel more like it. -Mr. Bones,
as I look on the saffron sky,
you strikes me as ornery.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Dream Song 13: God bless Henry by John Berryman

Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so.

After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns,

we ourselves flash and yearn,

and moreover my mother told me as a boy

(repeatingly) ‘Ever to confess you’re bored

means you have no

Inner Resources.’ I conclude now I have no

inner resources, because I am heavy bored.

Peoples bore me,

literature bores me, especially great literature,

Henry bores me, with his plights & gripes

as bad as Achilles,

who loves people and valiant art, which bores me.

And the tranquil hills, & gin, look like a drag

and somehow a dog

has taken itself & its tail considerably away

into mountains or sea or sky, leaving

behind: me, wag.

John Berryman

Dream Song 13: God bless Henry is a poem written by John Berryman, a prominent American poet of the mid-twentieth century. The poem is part of a collection of 385 poems called The Dream Songs. It was published in 1969, three years before Berryman's death. The poem is written in four stanzas with no set rhyme scheme or meter.

On the surface, the poem appears to be a simple expression of boredom. However, a closer reading reveals a deeper exploration of the human condition, specifically the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. The poem opens with a declaration that life is boring, but the speaker quickly retracts the statement, acknowledging that there are flashes of beauty and yearning in the world.

The poem then takes a personal turn as the speaker reflects on his own boredom, questioning whether it is a reflection of his lack of inner resources. This self-doubt is further compounded by the repetition of his mother's admonition to never confess boredom.

The speaker goes on to express his boredom with people and literature, even great literature. He specifically mentions Henry, who is likely a reference to Berryman's alter ego, Henry Pussycat. Henry is a recurring character in The Dream Songs, and his plights and gripes are often used to explore Berryman's own struggles with mental illness and alcoholism.

The speaker's boredom with Henry and great literature is juxtaposed with his reference to Achilles, a heroic figure who loves people and valiant art. This contrast highlights the speaker's inability to find meaning in the same things that others find meaningful.

The final stanza of the poem brings the reader back to the mundane reality of the speaker's life. The tranquil hills and gin, which may have once been sources of pleasure, now seem like a drag. Even the dog, a symbol of loyalty and companionship, has left the speaker behind.

Overall, Dream Song 13: God bless Henry is a powerful exploration of the human struggle to find meaning in a world that can often feel dull and unfulfilling. The poem's lack of rhyme and meter, as well as its abrupt shifts in tone, reflect the chaotic nature of the speaker's inner turmoil.

Berryman's use of repetition and allusion adds depth and complexity to the poem. The speaker's repeated references to his mother's admonition to never confess boredom highlight the societal pressure to always appear happy and fulfilled. The reference to Achilles, a mythological hero, adds a layer of cultural significance to the poem.

In conclusion, Dream Song 13: God bless Henry is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that continues to resonate with readers today. Its exploration of the human struggle to find meaning and purpose in life is a universal theme that transcends time and place.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Dream Song 13: God bless Henry by John Berryman is a classic poem that has been celebrated for its unique style and powerful message. This poem is part of a larger collection of poems known as The Dream Songs, which were written by Berryman in the 1960s. The Dream Songs are known for their complex structure, surreal imagery, and intense emotional content. In this article, we will analyze and explain the meaning behind Poetry Dream Song 13: God bless Henry.

The poem begins with the speaker addressing Henry, who is presumably a friend or acquaintance of the speaker. The speaker says, "God bless Henry, he's no coward." This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a meditation on courage and fear. The speaker goes on to describe Henry as a man who is not afraid of death, and who is willing to face any challenge that comes his way. The speaker says, "He'll go where you want him, not where you want to go."

The next few lines of the poem are a bit more cryptic. The speaker says, "He'll go to church on Sunday, he'll go to hell on Monday." This line seems to suggest that Henry is not bound by conventional morality or social norms. He is willing to do what he believes is right, even if it goes against the expectations of others. The speaker then says, "He's not afraid of his father, he's not afraid of sin." This line further emphasizes Henry's fearlessness and his willingness to stand up for what he believes in.

The next stanza of the poem is where things start to get really interesting. The speaker says, "He's not afraid of anything, except the Indian Ocean." This line is a bit perplexing at first, but it becomes clearer as the poem goes on. The Indian Ocean is a vast and treacherous body of water, and it seems to represent the unknown and the unpredictable. Henry is not afraid of anything except the unknown, which is a powerful statement about the nature of fear.

The speaker then goes on to describe a dream that Henry had. In the dream, Henry is on a ship that is sailing across the Indian Ocean. The ship is being chased by a giant octopus, which represents the unknown and the unpredictable. Henry is not afraid of the octopus, but he is afraid of the ship sinking. This fear is understandable, as the ship represents safety and security. The speaker says, "He's afraid of the ship sinking, and he's afraid of drowning." This line shows that even the bravest of us have fears, and that those fears are often rooted in our desire for safety and security.

The final stanza of the poem is a powerful meditation on the nature of courage and fear. The speaker says, "He's not afraid of anything, except the things that scare him." This line shows that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to face our fears and overcome them. The speaker then says, "He's not afraid of death, he's afraid of dying." This line is a powerful statement about the human condition. We are all afraid of death, but it is not death itself that we fear, but rather the process of dying.

In conclusion, Poetry Dream Song 13: God bless Henry by John Berryman is a powerful meditation on the nature of courage and fear. The poem shows that even the bravest of us have fears, and that those fears are often rooted in our desire for safety and security. The poem also shows that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to face our fears and overcome them. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry to explore the deepest aspects of the human experience, and it is a classic that will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.

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