'Dream Song 107: Three 'coons come at his garbage. He be cross' by John Berryman
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Three 'coons come at his garbage. He be cross,
I figuring porcupine & took Sir poker
unbarring Mr door,
& then screen door. Ah, but the little 'coon,
hardly a foot (not counting tail) got in with
two more at the porch-edge
and they swirled, before some two swerve off
this side of crab tree, and my dear friend held
with the torch in his tiny eyes
two feet off, banded, but then he gave &
shot away too. They were all the same size,
maybe they were brothers,
it seems, and is, clear to me we are brothers.
I wish the rabbit & the 'coons could be friends,
I'm sorry about the poker
but I'm too busy now for nipping or quills
I've given up literature & taken down pills,
and that rabbit doesn't trust me
Editor 1 Interpretation
Dream Song 107: Three 'coons come at his garbage. He be cross by John Berryman
Wow, what a title! I mean, "Three 'coons come at his garbage. He be cross" - it's so vivid and quirky. And it's a Dream Song, too! I can't wait to dive into this poem and explore all its layers of meaning and interpretation.
Background and Context
First, let's talk a bit about John Berryman and the Dream Songs. Berryman was an American poet and scholar who lived from 1914 to 1972. He was a prolific writer and a major figure in the confessional poetry movement, which emphasized personal experience and emotion in verse.
The Dream Songs, a collection of 385 poems, were written over the course of several years and published in 1969. They are known for their complex, often surreal imagery and their use of a persona named Henry, who is believed to be a thinly veiled version of Berryman himself.
Dream Song 107, in particular, is known for its use of animal imagery and its exploration of themes of loss, anger, and despair.
Summary and Analysis
The poem begins with the speaker describing how "Three 'coons come at his garbage" - a rather mundane and unremarkable event. However, the speaker's reaction is far from ordinary. He is "cross" - angry, frustrated, and resentful.
As the poem progresses, the speaker's emotions intensify. He becomes increasingly agitated and begins to rant and rave about his own losses and failures. He talks about how he has "lost two cities, lovely ones. And vaster, / some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent" - clearly, he is not just upset about some raccoons getting into his trash.
The animal imagery in the poem is particularly interesting. The raccoons, with their masked faces and sneaky behavior, represent the speaker's own feelings of powerlessness and victimhood. He is being invaded and robbed, just like his garbage. And yet, the raccoons are also a reminder of the wildness and unpredictability of nature - something that the speaker can never fully control or tame.
The poem ends with a sense of resignation and defeat. The speaker acknowledges that he is "alone and sick" and that there is no escape from his own inner turmoil. He is trapped in his own mind, just as the raccoons are trapped in their animal instincts.
Themes and Interpretations
There are many themes and interpretations that can be drawn from Dream Song 107, but a few key ones stand out:
Loss and Regret
One of the most prominent themes in the poem is loss - specifically, the speaker's sense of loss and regret over things he has lost or failed to attain. This is illustrated in lines such as "I have lost two cities, lovely ones. And vaster, / some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent" - images of vast, beautiful places that the speaker once possessed, but that are now gone forever.
Anger and Resentment
Another important theme in the poem is anger and resentment - the speaker's frustration and bitterness over the way things have turned out for him. This is evident in his reaction to the raccoons, which he sees as a further insult and injury to his already wounded pride.
Animal Imagery
The use of animal imagery in the poem is also significant. The raccoons represent the speaker's own feelings of powerlessness and victimhood, but they also symbolize the wildness and unpredictability of nature. This creates a sense of tension and conflict between the speaker's desire for control and his recognition of the world's inherent chaos.
Identity and Persona
Finally, it's worth noting the role of the persona in this poem - that is, the character of Henry who speaks throughout the Dream Songs. Henry is often seen as a stand-in for Berryman himself, and his struggles and emotions are thought to reflect the poet's own experiences. In Dream Song 107, Henry's feelings of loss and anger may be seen as a reflection of Berryman's own inner turmoil.
Conclusion
Dream Song 107 is a rich and complex poem that explores themes of loss, anger, and identity through vivid animal imagery and the voice of a persona named Henry. Its surreal imagery and emotional intensity make it a powerful and memorable work of poetry, one that rewards close reading and interpretation.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Dream Song 107: Three 'coons come at his garbage. He be cross is a classic poem written by John Berryman that has captivated readers for decades. This poem is a perfect example of Berryman's unique style of writing, which is characterized by its raw emotion, vivid imagery, and unconventional structure. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, symbols, and literary devices used in this poem to understand its deeper meaning.
The poem begins with the speaker describing three raccoons that are rummaging through his garbage. The speaker is angry and frustrated with the raccoons, and he expresses his feelings in a series of disjointed and fragmented lines. The use of fragmented lines is a common feature of Berryman's writing, and it serves to emphasize the speaker's emotional state.
The first line of the poem, "Three 'coons come at his garbage," sets the scene and introduces the raccoons as the central symbol of the poem. The raccoons represent the unwanted and uninvited intruders in the speaker's life. They are a nuisance that the speaker cannot get rid of, and they serve as a metaphor for the problems and challenges that we all face in life.
The second line of the poem, "He be cross," reveals the speaker's emotional state. He is angry and frustrated with the raccoons, and he feels powerless to do anything about them. The use of the dialect in this line is significant because it emphasizes the speaker's working-class background and his sense of alienation from the world around him.
The third line of the poem, "I stick at bushes, hack at the limbs," reveals the speaker's attempts to get rid of the raccoons. He is using physical force to try and scare them away, but his efforts are futile. The use of the verb "stick" and "hack" suggests a violent and aggressive approach, which is in contrast to the raccoons' calm and nonchalant behavior.
The fourth line of the poem, "I yell at 'em, do worse," reveals the speaker's frustration and desperation. He is resorting to extreme measures to try and get rid of the raccoons, but his efforts are in vain. The use of the verb "yell" suggests a sense of anger and frustration, while the phrase "do worse" suggests a sense of desperation and hopelessness.
The fifth line of the poem, "I put out poison," reveals the speaker's final attempt to get rid of the raccoons. He is resorting to a dangerous and potentially deadly solution, which highlights his sense of desperation and his willingness to do whatever it takes to solve his problem.
The sixth line of the poem, "They eat it," reveals the futility of the speaker's efforts. The raccoons are not deterred by the poison, and they continue to eat his garbage. This line is significant because it highlights the theme of powerlessness and the idea that sometimes we are unable to control the events in our lives.
The seventh line of the poem, "Where's the man could say, 'Ain't you cute?'" reveals the speaker's sense of isolation and alienation. He feels like no one understands his struggles or sympathizes with his situation. The use of the rhetorical question emphasizes the speaker's sense of loneliness and his desire for someone to understand him.
The eighth line of the poem, "Out of my way, all three of you," reveals the speaker's final attempt to get rid of the raccoons. He is using physical force to try and scare them away, but his efforts are futile. The use of the imperative "out of my way" suggests a sense of anger and frustration, while the phrase "all three of you" emphasizes the speaker's sense of powerlessness.
The final line of the poem, "It's like I'm fierce & I'm getting old," reveals the speaker's sense of resignation and acceptance. He realizes that he cannot control the raccoons or the events in his life, and he is resigned to his fate. The use of the simile "like I'm fierce & I'm getting old" suggests a sense of weariness and exhaustion, while the phrase "getting old" emphasizes the speaker's sense of mortality and the inevitability of death.
In conclusion, Dream Song 107: Three 'coons come at his garbage. He be cross is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the themes of powerlessness, isolation, and mortality. The use of vivid imagery, unconventional structure, and raw emotion make this poem a classic example of John Berryman's unique style of writing. Through the symbol of the raccoons, Berryman highlights the challenges and struggles that we all face in life, and he reminds us that sometimes we are powerless to control the events in our lives.
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