'Sonnet 13' by John Berryman
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Sonnets To Chris1966I lift-lift you five States away your glass,
Wide of this bar you never graced, where none
Ever I know came, where what work is done
Even by these men I know not, where a brass
Police-car sign peers in, wet strange cars pass,
Soiled hangs the rag of day out over this town,
A juke-box brains air where I drink alone,
The spruce barkeep sports a toupee alas-My glass I lift at six o'clock, my darling,
As you plotted... Chinese couples shift in bed,
We shared today not even filthy weather,
Beasts in the hills their tigerish love are snarling,
Suddenly they clash, I blow my short ash red,
Grey eyes light! and we have our drink together.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Beauty and Pain in John Berryman’s Sonnet 13
As a lover of poetry, I find myself constantly drawn towards sonnets. There’s something about the form that captures the essence of emotion so perfectly. And when it comes to sonnets, John Berryman’s Sonnet 13 is an absolute masterpiece.
The Structure of the Sonnet
Before we dive into the interpretation of the poem, let’s take a moment to appreciate the structure of the sonnet itself. Berryman adheres to the traditional structure of a sonnet, with fourteen lines and a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
But what’s truly remarkable about this sonnet is the way Berryman plays with the structure. Each line is crafted with such precision that it feels almost like a puzzle piece fitting perfectly into place. The couplet at the end of the sonnet, in particular, feels like the perfect resolution to the tension built up in the previous twelve lines.
The Pain of Loss
Now let’s delve into the interpretation of the poem itself. At its core, Sonnet 13 is a poem about loss. The speaker of the poem is mourning the loss of a loved one, and the pain of that loss is palpable throughout the poem.
In the opening line, the speaker describes the world as “colder and dryer.” This sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it immediately establishes a sense of emptiness and loss. The world has lost its warmth and vitality, mirroring the speaker’s own sense of loss.
The speaker then goes on to describe the various ways in which they have tried to cope with their loss. They have tried to distract themselves with work and “traveled in strange lands,” but nothing seems to alleviate the pain.
The Beauty of Memory
Despite the overwhelming sense of loss in the poem, there is also a powerful sense of beauty. The speaker’s memories of their loved one are described in such vivid detail that they feel almost tangible.
In the third line of the poem, the speaker describes their loved one’s “voice like a mountain-stream.” This is such a beautiful image, and it perfectly captures the essence of the person the speaker is mourning.
The speaker’s memories of their loved one are also described in terms of nature. They describe their loved one as a “flower” and a “green tree,” suggesting that they were a source of life and vitality in the speaker’s world.
The Ambiguity of the Ending
One of the most fascinating aspects of Sonnet 13 is its ending. The final couplet is beautifully crafted, but it’s also somewhat ambiguous in its meaning.
The couplet reads:
And now I am contented to be laid across your knee, To be given up to you, or to be left at your will.
On the one hand, this could be interpreted as the speaker surrendering to their grief and allowing themselves to be consumed by it. They are content to be at the mercy of their loved one, even if that means experiencing more pain.
On the other hand, this could be interpreted as the speaker finding solace in their memories of their loved one. They are content to be laid across their loved one’s knee, as if they are being cradled in their arms once again.
Final Thoughts
Overall, John Berryman’s Sonnet 13 is a beautifully crafted poem that captures the essence of loss and grief. The structure of the sonnet is masterful, with each line fitting perfectly into place. The pain of loss is palpable, but there is also a sense of beauty in the speaker’s memories of their loved one. And the ambiguity of the ending allows for multiple interpretations, adding to the richness of the poem as a whole.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
John Berryman’s Sonnet 13 is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. The sonnet is a fourteen-line poem that follows a strict rhyme scheme and meter. Berryman’s sonnet is a perfect example of this form, and it is a beautiful piece of poetry that is worth analyzing.
The sonnet begins with the speaker addressing his beloved, saying, “And wilt thou have me fashion into speech / The love I bear thee, finding words enough, / And hold the torch out, while the winds are rough, / Between our faces, to cast light on each?” The speaker is asking his beloved if he should express his love for her in words. He is asking if he should hold a torch between their faces to cast light on each other.
The speaker then goes on to say, “I drop it at thy feet. I cannot teach / My hand to hold my spirit so far off / From myself—me—that I should bring thee proof / In words, of love hid in me out of reach.” The speaker is saying that he cannot express his love for her in words. He cannot hold his spirit so far off from himself that he can bring her proof of his love. His love is hidden inside of him and out of reach.
The speaker then says, “Nay, let the silence of my womanhood / Commend my woman-love to thy belief,— / Seeing that I stand unwon, however wooed, / And rend the garment of my life, in brief, / By a most dauntless, voiceless fortitude, / Lest one touch of this heart convey its grief.” The speaker is saying that her silence should commend her love to her beloved. She is saying that she stands unwon, however wooed, and that she will rend the garment of her life with a most dauntless, voiceless fortitude. She is saying that she will not let anyone touch her heart and convey its grief.
The sonnet ends with the speaker saying, “Were it not better, if it were done so, / That I, a maid, by silence should confess / Than by my tongue betray my heart so low / The longest sunbeam stretches in the grass / Twixt now and noonday; eight hours for them pass / To travel o’er in faithlessness to thee: / And then, methinks, I could bear to know / That I should never look upon thee more. / Thou art so fair, and I am so unworthy.” The speaker is saying that it would be better if she confessed her love through her silence rather than betraying her heart with her tongue. She is saying that the longest sunbeam stretches in the grass between now and noonday, and that eight hours pass for them to travel over in faithlessness to her beloved. She is saying that she could bear to know that she would never look upon him again because he is so fair and she is so unworthy.
In conclusion, John Berryman’s Sonnet 13 is a beautiful piece of poetry that is worth analyzing. The sonnet follows a strict rhyme scheme and meter, and it is a perfect example of this form. The speaker is asking his beloved if he should express his love for her in words, but he cannot find the words to express his love. The speaker’s silence should commend her love to her beloved, and she will not let anyone touch her heart and convey its grief. The sonnet ends with the speaker saying that it would be better if she confessed her love through her silence rather than betraying her heart with her tongue. Overall, Sonnet 13 is a beautiful piece of poetry that is worth reading and analyzing.
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