'Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back' by John Berryman
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He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back.
He thought they was old friends. He felt on the stair
where her papa found them bare
they became familiar. When the papers were lost
rich with pals' secrets, he thought he had the knack
of ruin. Their paths crossed
and once they crossed in jail; they crossed in bed;
and over an unsigned letter their eyes met,
and in an Asian city
directionless & lurchy at two & three,
or trembling to a telephone's fresh threat,
and when some wired his head
to reach a wrong opinion, 'Epileptic'.
But he noted now that: they were not old friends.
He did not know this one.
This one was a stranger, come to make amends
for all the imposters, and to make it stick.
Henry nodded, un-.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back
by John Berryman
John Berryman's "Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back" is a deep and thought-provoking poem that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the human condition. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will dive into the meaning behind each stanza, unraveling the layers of symbolism and metaphor that make this poem a masterpiece.
Stanza 1
He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back.
Nothing moved: not a leaf flickered, not
A bird crossed the view.
There was, & it seemed there was, the setting sun,
Which looked at him from a red ball as if
Through broken spectacles.
The opening stanza sets the stage for the rest of the poem, creating a sense of stillness and emptiness. The speaker is standing in front of ruin, and the ruined landscape is staring straight back at him. The lack of movement - not a single leaf flickered or a bird crossed the view - creates a sense of desolation and abandonment.
The sun, meanwhile, is setting, symbolizing the end of something. Its red color suggests a sense of danger or warning, like a stop sign or a red light. The comparison to "broken spectacles" emphasizes the idea of ruin and decay. The speaker sees the world through a distorted lens, just as the sun appears to be viewed through broken glasses.
Stanza 2
Then he thought: there’s nothing left.
No more cigarettes, nothing tonight, nothing
Tomorrow, nothing ever.
He shook & laughed, a terrible feat of life.
The second stanza reveals the speaker's state of mind. He realizes that there is nothing left for him, no cigarettes to smoke, no hope for tomorrow. The absence of cigarettes, a common symbol of comfort and escape, suggests that the speaker has lost everything he once relied on.
The line "nothing ever" implies a finality and a sense of hopelessness. The speaker is shaking and laughing, and this is where Berryman's skill as a poet comes into play. The image of shaking and laughing is a "terrible feat of life" because it is a paradox. It is terrible because the speaker is essentially losing his mind, yet it is also a feat of life because he is still alive and capable of feeling.
Stanza 3
The sun set, the moon came on.
His teeth chattered like one bone in a box.
He couldn’t get warm, he couldn’t remember
His name, he couldn’t remember the game,
He couldn’t remember the dealer’s face,
He couldn’t even remember the name of the place.
The third stanza deepens the speaker's sense of disorientation and confusion. The setting sun has given way to the moon, and the speaker's teeth are chattering uncontrollably. The image of one bone in a box is an unsettling one, suggesting the speaker's body is nothing more than a lifeless object.
The speaker's inability to remember his name, the game he's playing, or the dealer's face suggests that he has lost touch with reality. He can't even remember the name of the place he's in, emphasizing the idea of disorientation and confusion.
Stanza 4
He said, "I’m cold."
& someone said, "He’s cold."
He said, "I’m sick."
& someone said, "He’s sick."
He said, "I’m lost."
& someone said, "He’s lost."
"Cold," said the mind of man. "Sick," said
The mind of man. "Lost," said the mind of man.
The fourth stanza is a turning point in the poem. The speaker is no longer alone, as someone else is present and responding to what he says. However, this someone seems to be nothing more than the "mind of man". The repetition of the phrases "He said" and "someone said" creates a sense of detachment, as if the speaker is speaking to an empty void.
The mind of man seems to be acknowledging the speaker's state, but it does not offer any comfort or solution. The repetition of "cold", "sick", and "lost" emphasizes the idea that the speaker is trapped in his own mind, unable to escape his own thoughts and the damage that has been done.
Stanza 5
Then he rocked & wept, his body flamed like
A white tree in a classic storm: the winds
Were the words he wept to the mind of man.
His sleep fell back on him like lead.
He dreamed of the ruins, the stones and the sand
Blowing across the bones, across the throat,
And the eyes that watched him, they were the eyes of death.
The final stanza is a powerful conclusion to the poem. The speaker finally releases his emotions, rocking and weeping as his body flamed like a white tree in a storm. The winds are the words he wept to the mind of man, suggesting that he is finally able to express himself and be heard.
His sleep falls back on him like lead, emphasizing his exhaustion and the weight of his emotions. In his dream, he sees the ruins once again, with stones and sand blowing across the bones and throat. The eyes that watch him are the eyes of death, emphasizing the speaker's sense of despair and hopelessness.
In conclusion, John Berryman's "Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back" is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the themes of loss, grief, and the human condition. Through imagery and symbolism, Berryman creates a sense of desolation and emptiness, emphasizing the speaker's state of mind. The repetition of phrases emphasizes the speaker's trapped state, while the final stanza provides a cathartic release. Overall, this poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexity of human emotion and experience.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back is a classic poem written by John Berryman that delves into the complexities of human emotions and the inevitability of ruin. The poem is a part of Berryman's Dream Songs collection, which is known for its surreal and dreamlike quality. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, literary devices, and overall significance.
The poem begins with the line "He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back." This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it immediately establishes a sense of tension and conflict. The use of repetition in this line also emphasizes the idea of a staring contest between the speaker and ruin, suggesting that they are locked in a battle of wills.
The next few lines of the poem describe the speaker's surroundings, which are characterized by decay and destruction. The speaker observes "the broken pillars" and "the fallen walls," which serve as symbols of the ruin that he is staring at. These images create a sense of desolation and hopelessness, suggesting that the speaker is in a place that has been abandoned and forgotten.
As the poem progresses, the speaker's thoughts turn inward, and he begins to reflect on his own life. He thinks about "the days when he was young," and how he used to "dream of glory." These lines suggest that the speaker once had high aspirations and dreams of achieving greatness, but that those dreams have been shattered by the passage of time and the inevitability of ruin.
The poem then takes a surreal turn, as the speaker imagines himself as a "ghost" who is "haunting the ruins." This image is both eerie and poignant, as it suggests that the speaker is trapped in a state of limbo, unable to move on from the ruins of his past. The use of the word "haunting" also implies a sense of regret and longing, as if the speaker is haunted by the memories of what could have been.
The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most powerful, as the speaker declares that "ruin is formal" and that "he cannot change it." These lines suggest that the speaker has come to accept the inevitability of ruin, and that he has resigned himself to his fate. The use of the word "formal" also implies a sense of finality and permanence, as if the speaker has come to terms with the fact that his dreams of glory are now nothing more than a distant memory.
Overall, Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the themes of decay, regret, and acceptance. The use of surreal imagery and repetition creates a sense of tension and conflict, while the speaker's reflections on his own life add a poignant and introspective element to the poem.
One of the most striking literary devices used in the poem is the repetition of the word "ruin." This repetition serves to emphasize the central theme of the poem, which is the inevitability of decay and destruction. By repeating the word "ruin" throughout the poem, Berryman creates a sense of foreboding and doom, suggesting that the speaker is trapped in a cycle of decay that he cannot escape.
Another important literary device used in the poem is the use of surreal imagery. The image of the speaker as a "ghost" haunting the ruins is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the speaker is trapped in a state of limbo, unable to move on from the past. This image also adds a sense of otherworldliness to the poem, creating a dreamlike quality that is characteristic of Berryman's Dream Songs collection.
In conclusion, Dream Song 45: He stared at ruin. Ruin stared straight back is a classic poem that explores the complexities of human emotions and the inevitability of ruin. Through its use of repetition, surreal imagery, and introspective reflections, the poem creates a powerful and evocative portrait of a speaker who is trapped in a cycle of decay and destruction. Despite its bleak themes, however, the poem ultimately offers a message of acceptance and resignation, suggesting that even in the face of ruin, there is still a sense of beauty and meaning to be found.
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