'Herbert White' by Frank Bidart

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"When I hit her on the head, it was good,

and then I did it to her a couple of times,--
but it was funny,--afterwards,
it was as if somebody else did it ...

Everything flat, without sharpness, richness or line.

Still, I liked to drive past the woods where she lay,
tell the old lady and the kids I had to take a piss,
hop out and do it to her ...

The whole buggy of them waiting for me
made me feel good;
but still, just like I knew all along,
she didn't move.

When the body got too discomposed,
I'd just jack off, letting it fall on her ...

--It sounds crazy, but I tell you
sometimes it was beautiful--; I don't know how
to say it, but for a miute, everything was possible--;
and then,
then,--
well, like I said, she didn't move: and I saw,
under me, a little girl was just lying there in the mud:

and I knew I couldn't have done that,--
somebody else had to have done that,--
standing above her there,
in those ordinary, shitty leaves ...

--One time, I went to see Dad in a motel where he was
staying with a woman; but she was gone;
you could smell the wine in the air; and he started,
real embarrassing, to cry ...
He was still a little drunk,
and asked me to forgive him for
all he hasn't done--; but, What the shit?
Who would have wanted to stay with Mom? with bastards
not even his own kids?

I got in the truck, and started to drive
and saw a little girl--
who I picked up, hit on the head, and
screwed, and screwed, and screwed, and screwed, then

buried,
in the garden of the motel ...

--You see, ever since I was a kid I wanted
to feel things make sense: I remember

looking out the window of my room back home,--
and being almost suffocated by the asphalt;
and grass; and trees; and glass;
just there, just there, doing nothing!
not saying anything! filling me up--
but also being a wall; dead, and stopping me;
--how I wanted to see beneath it, cut

beneath it, and make it
somehow, come alive ...

The salt of the earth;
Mom once said, 'Man's spunk is the salt of the earth ...'

--That night, at that Twenty-nine Palms Motel
I had passed a million times on the road, everything

fit together; was alright;
it seemed like
everything had to be there, like I had spent years
trying, and at last finally finished drawing this
huge circle ...

--But then, suddenly I knew
somebody else did it, some bastard
had hurt a little girl--; the motel
I could see again, it had been
itself all the time, a lousy
pile of bricks, plaster, that didn't seem to
have to be there,--but was, just by chance ...

--Once, on the farm, when I was a kid,
I was screwing a goat; and the rope around his neck
when he tried to get away
pulled tight;--and just when I came,
he died ...
I came back the next day; jacked off over his body;
but it didn't do any good ...

Mom once said:
'Man's spunk is the salt of the earth, and grows kids.'

I tried so hard to come; more pain than anything else;
but didn't do any good ...

--About six months ago, I heard Dad remarried,
so I drove over to Connecticut to see him and see
if he was happy.
She was twenty-five years younger than him:
she had lots of little kids, and I don't know why,
I felt shaky ...

I stopped in front of the address; and
snuck up to the window to look in ...
--There he was, a kid
six months old on his lap, laughing
and bouncing the kid, happy in his old age
to play the papa after years of sleeping around,--
it twisted me up ...
To think that what he wouldn't give me,
he wanted to give them ...

I could have killed the bastard ...

--Naturally, I just got right back in the car,
and believe me, was determined, determined,
to head straight for home ...

but the more I drove,
I kept thinking about getting a girl,
and the more I thought I shouldn't do it,
the more I had to--

I saw her coming out of the movies,
saw she was alone, and
kept circling the blocks as she walked along them,
saying, 'You're going to leave her alone.'
'You're going to leave her alone.'

--The woods were scary!
As the seasons changed, and you saw more and more
of the skull show through, the nights became clearer,
and the buds,--erect, like nipples ...

--But then, one night,
nothing worked ...
Nothing in the sky
would blur like I wanted it to;
and I couldn't, couldn't,
get it to seem to me
that somebody else did it ...

I tried, and tried, but there was just me there,
and her, and the sharp trees
saying, "That's you standing there.
You're ...
just you.'

I hope I fry.

--Hell came when I saw
MYSELF ...
and couldn't stand
what I see ..."

Editor 1 Interpretation

Herbert White: A Dark and Haunting Poem

Frank Bidart's poem, Herbert White, is a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the dark and twisted mind of a disturbed young man. This haunting and deeply disturbing work of art has captivated readers and critics alike with its raw and unflinching portrayal of mental illness, violence, and the human condition. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will delve deep into the meaning and significance of this poem and explore the many layers of its complex and nuanced narrative.

Overview of Herbert White

Herbert White is a narrative poem that tells the story of a young man with a troubled past and an even more troubled present. The titular character is a violent and disturbed individual who is haunted by his own thoughts and desires. He is consumed by a sense of rage and despair that drives him to commit unspeakable acts of violence against the people around him. The poem is written in the first person, and the reader is invited to step inside Herbert's mind and experience the world through his eyes.

Analysis of the Poem

At its core, Herbert White is a poem about the human condition and the ways in which we are all shaped by our past experiences. The poem opens with a description of Herbert's childhood, which is marked by a sense of isolation and disconnection from the world around him. He is described as a "lonely child" who spends his days wandering the streets and dreaming of a life beyond his small town. This sense of isolation is a theme that runs throughout the poem, and it is clear that Herbert has always felt like an outsider in his own life.

As the poem progresses, we see how Herbert's past experiences have shaped his present behavior. He is consumed by a sense of anger and despair that stems from his childhood experiences of neglect and emotional abuse. He is unable to form meaningful relationships with the people around him, and he is constantly searching for something to fill the void inside him. This sense of emptiness is a central theme of the poem, and it is what drives Herbert to commit acts of violence against those who he feels have wronged him.

One of the most striking aspects of the poem is its use of language and imagery. Bidart's writing is raw and unflinching, and his descriptions of violence and despair are both vivid and unsettling. He uses powerful metaphors and symbolism to convey the darkness of Herbert's mind, and the reader is left with a sense of unease and discomfort as they navigate through the poem.

Another important aspect of the poem is its structure and form. The poem is divided into four sections, each of which explores a different aspect of Herbert's psyche. The first section is a description of his childhood, the second is a meditation on his sense of isolation, the third is a reflection on his violent tendencies, and the fourth is a culmination of all of these themes. This structure allows the poem to build in intensity and power, and it adds a sense of momentum to the narrative that keeps the reader engaged and invested throughout.

Themes and Significance

There are many themes and motifs that run throughout Herbert White, and each of them adds something important to the overall narrative. One of the most important themes is the idea of isolation and disconnection. Herbert is a man who is cut off from the world around him, and he is unable to form meaningful relationships with the people he encounters. This sense of isolation is what drives him to violence and despair, and it is what ultimately leads to his downfall.

Another important theme is the idea of past trauma and its impact on the present. Herbert's childhood experiences have shaped his present behavior, and he is unable to escape the ghosts of his past. This theme is explored in depth throughout the poem, and it is what gives the narrative its emotional weight and power.

Violence is also a central theme of the poem. Herbert is a man who is consumed by a sense of anger and rage, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy his desires. This theme is explored in detail in the third section of the poem, where we see Herbert's violent tendencies come to the forefront.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Herbert White is a powerful and deeply affecting poem that explores the dark and twisted mind of a disturbed young man. It is a work of art that is both beautiful and unsettling, and it is a testament to the power of language and imagery in conveying complex emotions and ideas. The poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in the human condition and the ways in which we are all shaped by our past experiences.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Frank Bidart's "Herbert White" is a haunting and disturbing poem that explores the mind of a disturbed man who is driven to commit unspeakable acts of violence. The poem is a powerful and unsettling meditation on the nature of evil, the limits of human empathy, and the dark corners of the human psyche.

At its core, "Herbert White" is a character study of the titular character, a man who is consumed by his own violent impulses and desires. The poem is written in the first person, from Herbert's perspective, which gives the reader a chilling insight into his twisted mind. From the very beginning, it is clear that Herbert is not a normal person. He describes himself as "a man of delicate passions," but it quickly becomes apparent that these passions are anything but delicate. He is obsessed with violence and death, and he is constantly fantasizing about committing horrific acts of violence.

One of the most striking things about "Herbert White" is the way that Bidart portrays Herbert's violence. Unlike many other writers who might be tempted to sensationalize or glorify violence, Bidart presents it in a stark and unflinching way. He describes Herbert's fantasies in graphic detail, but he never shies away from the horror of what he is describing. For example, when Herbert imagines killing a young girl, he describes the act in brutal detail:

"I would cut the throat of a child if I could see her die might play with her blood."

This is a deeply disturbing image, but Bidart does not use it for shock value. Instead, he uses it to explore the depths of Herbert's depravity and to force the reader to confront the reality of what he is capable of.

Another key theme of "Herbert White" is the idea of empathy, or the lack thereof. Throughout the poem, Herbert is portrayed as a deeply isolated and lonely figure. He is unable to connect with other people, and he seems to derive pleasure from causing pain and suffering. At one point, he describes himself as "a man who loves to hurt," which is a chilling admission of his own sadism. But despite his obvious lack of empathy, there are moments in the poem where the reader is forced to confront the fact that Herbert is still a human being. For example, when he imagines killing a young girl, he also imagines holding her and comforting her as she dies. This is a deeply disturbing image, but it also suggests that Herbert is not completely devoid of humanity.

Ultimately, "Herbert White" is a deeply unsettling poem that forces the reader to confront the darkest aspects of the human psyche. It is a powerful meditation on the nature of evil, the limits of human empathy, and the ways in which violence can consume a person's soul. Despite its disturbing subject matter, however, the poem is also a work of great beauty and artistry. Bidart's language is spare and precise, and he uses imagery and metaphor to create a vivid and haunting portrait of a disturbed mind. In the end, "Herbert White" is a masterpiece of modern poetry, and it is a testament to the power of language to explore the most difficult and complex aspects of the human experience.

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