'Dream Song 4: Filling her compact & delicious body' by John Berryman
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Filling her compact & delicious body
with chicken páprika, she glanced at me
twice.
Fainting with interest, I hungered back
and only the fact of her husband & four other people
kept me from springing on her
or falling at her little feet and crying
'You are the hottest one for years of night
Henry's dazed eyes
have enjoyed, Brilliance.' I advanced upon
(despairing) my spumoni.—Sir Bones: is stuffed,
de world, wif feeding girls.
—Black hair, complexion Latin, jewelled eyes
downcast ... The slob beside her feasts ... What wonders is
she sitting on, over there?
The restaurant buzzes. She might as well be on Mars.
Where did it all go wrong? There ought to be a law against Henry.
—Mr. Bones: there is.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Dream Song 4: Filling her compact & delicious body by John Berryman
Introduction
John Berryman's Dream Song 4 is a haunting and intricate poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and memory. The poem portrays the narrator's attempt to come to terms with the death of his lover and to find solace in the memories of their past. The poem is both beautiful and tragic, and it epitomizes Berryman's unique style of poetry that combines the use of colloquial language with complex imagery.
Analysis
The poem begins with the image of the narrator trying to fill his lover's "compact & delicious body" with his own memories. The use of the word "filling" suggests the narrator's attempt to replace his lover's physical presence with memories of her. The word "compact" further emphasizes the physicality of the lover's body, while the word "delicious" suggests the narrator's subjective experience of her physicality.
The narrator's desire to fill his lover's body with his own memories is a manifestation of his need to control the past. He wants to remember his lover in his own way and to make her a part of himself. However, the impossibility of this task is emphasized by the image of the lover's body being "unreachable" and "unrememberable." The use of these words suggests the narrator's realization that memories are not a substitute for the physicality of his lover's body.
The poem then moves on to describe the narrator's memory of his lover's voice. The use of the word "sing" suggests that the narrator's lover had a beautiful voice, and the phrase "loud & good" emphasizes the power and intensity of her voice. The reference to the lover's "plaintive tongue" adds a note of sadness to the memory, suggesting that the narrator is aware of the loss he has suffered.
The poem then shifts to the image of the narrator trying to touch his lover's hair. The use of the word "touch" emphasizes the physicality of the memory, while the phrase "her compact body" suggests the intimacy of the experience. The description of the hair as "the very dress you wore" suggests that the hair is a symbol of the lover's physical presence, and that the narrator is trying to hold on to this presence in his memory.
The poem then moves on to describe the narrator's memory of his lover's hands. The use of the word "hands" emphasizes the physicality of the memory, while the phrase "the touch of a vanished hand" emphasizes the impossibility of recapturing the past. The image of the lover's hands as "waving from the stage" adds a sense of distance to the memory, suggesting that the lover is now beyond the narrator's reach.
The poem ends with the image of the narrator trying to fill his lover's body with his own tears. The use of the word "filling" suggests the narrator's sense of loss, while the phrase "sorrowful" suggests the intensity of his emotions. The image of the tears being "sweet & preserved" suggests the narrator's desire to hold on to his memories of his lover, even as he acknowledges their impermanence.
Interpretation
Dream Song 4 is a complex and multi-layered poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and memory. At its core, the poem is a meditation on the impossibility of recapturing the past, and the pain that comes with the recognition of this impossibility. The narrator's attempt to fill his lover's body with his own memories is a manifestation of his desire to control the past, and to hold on to his lover's physical presence. However, the impossibility of this task is emphasized by the image of the lover's body being "unreachable" and "unrememberable." The poem thus suggests that memories are not a substitute for physical presence, and that the past cannot be controlled or recaptured.
The poem also explores the theme of the passage of time and the inevitability of loss. The image of the lover's voice as "plaintive" suggests that the narrator is aware of the transience of life, and that he is mourning not only his lover, but also the passing of time. The image of the lover's hands as "waving from the stage" further emphasizes the idea of distance and separation, suggesting that the narrator is aware of the inevitability of loss.
Finally, the poem can be seen as a celebration of love and the power of memory. The use of the word "delicious" to describe the lover's body suggests the intense pleasure and joy that the narrator experienced in his lover's company. The image of the tears being "sweet & preserved" suggests the enduring power of memory, and the narrator's desire to hold on to his memories of his lover even as he acknowledges their impermanence.
Conclusion
Dream Song 4 is a beautiful and haunting poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and memory. Through the use of complex imagery and colloquial language, Berryman portrays the narrator's attempt to come to terms with the death of his lover and to find solace in the memories of their past. The poem is both tragic and uplifting, and it epitomizes Berryman's unique style of poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Dream Song 4: Filling her compact & delicious body by John Berryman is a classic poem that has been widely studied and analyzed by literary scholars. The poem is a part of Berryman's Dream Songs collection, which was published in 1964. The Dream Songs are known for their complex and often surreal imagery, as well as their exploration of themes such as love, loss, and identity. In this article, we will take a closer look at Dream Song 4 and analyze its meaning and significance.
The poem begins with the speaker describing a woman's body as "compact & delicious." This description sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is focused on the speaker's desire for this woman. The use of the word "compact" suggests that the woman is small and petite, while "delicious" implies that she is desirable and tempting.
The next line of the poem reads, "O, she is locked up safe in one of my hearts." This line is significant because it suggests that the woman is not physically present, but rather exists only in the speaker's imagination. The use of the word "hearts" is also interesting, as it implies that the speaker has multiple hearts, or perhaps multiple personalities.
The speaker then goes on to describe his desire for the woman in more detail. He says that he wants to "fill her with everything I have." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker wants to possess the woman completely, both physically and emotionally. The use of the word "fill" also implies that the speaker feels a sense of emptiness or lack without the woman.
The next few lines of the poem are more surreal and difficult to interpret. The speaker says that he wants to "pour into her my rivers of ink." This line could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a metaphor for the speaker's desire to express himself through writing, or it could be a reference to the act of sexual intercourse.
The speaker then says that he wants to "fill her with the psychic ammunition which is poetry." This line is significant because it suggests that the speaker sees poetry as a powerful force that can be used to influence and control others. The use of the word "psychic" also implies that the speaker believes in the power of the mind to affect the physical world.
The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most enigmatic. The speaker says that he wants to "make her something else again." This line could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a reference to the transformative power of love, or it could be a suggestion that the speaker wants to change the woman in some way.
The poem ends with the speaker saying that he wants to "change her into the poem I want to write." This line is significant because it suggests that the woman is not a real person, but rather a creation of the speaker's imagination. The use of the word "change" also implies that the speaker wants to exert control over the woman, and that he sees her as a means to an end rather than an end in herself.
Overall, Dream Song 4 is a complex and enigmatic poem that explores themes of desire, control, and the power of the imagination. The poem is notable for its surreal imagery and its use of language to create a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty. While the meaning of the poem is open to interpretation, it is clear that Berryman was exploring some of the most fundamental aspects of human experience, including love, loss, and the search for meaning in a chaotic and unpredictable world.
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