'Dream Song 110: It was the blue & plain ones. I forget all that' by John Berryman

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His Toy, His Dream, His Rest1968It was the blue & plain ones. I forget all that.
My own clouds darkening hung.
Besides, it wasn't serious.
They took them in different rooms & fed them lies.
'She admitted you wanted to get rid of it.'
'He told us he told you to.'The Force, with its rapists con-men murderers,
has been our Pride (trust Henry) eighty years;-
now Teddy was hard on.
Still the tradition persists, beat up, beat on,
take, take. Frame. Get set; cover up.
The Saturday confessions are really something.Here was there less or nothing in question but horror.
She left his brother's son two minutes but-
as I say I forget that-
during the time he drowned. The laundry lived
and they lived, uncharged, and went their ways apart
with the blessing of the N.Y. Police Force.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Dream Song 110: It was the blue & plain ones. I forget all that

by John Berryman

Oh boy, get ready for a wild ride because we are about to dive into John Berryman's Dream Song 110: "It was the blue & plain ones. I forget all that." This poem is a part of Berryman's iconic Dream Songs collection and is known for its complexity, ambiguity, and powerful imagery. So, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let's explore this masterpiece together.

Summary

At its core, Dream Song 110 is a meditation on memory and its limitations. The speaker, Henry, reflects on his past and the people he has encountered along the way. The poem is structured around a series of memories, each one triggered by the sight of a particular color or pattern on a woman's dress. The poem begins with a description of a woman wearing a blue dress with a plain pattern. This sight triggers a memory of a past lover, and the speaker laments his inability to remember all the details of their relationship.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's memories become more fragmented and disjointed. He recalls a woman in a green dress with a floral pattern, a woman in a red dress with a polka dot pattern, and a woman in a yellow dress with a striped pattern. Each memory is tied to a specific color and pattern, and each one seems to represent a different aspect of the speaker's past.

Ultimately, the poem ends with the speaker acknowledging the limitations of memory and the impossibility of fully recapturing the past. He concludes that "there is no end" to memory and that the past will always be present in some way.

Analysis

Dream Song 110 is a complex and multi-layered poem that rewards close reading and analysis. One of the key themes of the poem is memory and its limitations. The speaker, Henry, is haunted by his past and the people he has encountered along the way. He longs to remember every detail of his relationships, but he knows that this is impossible. The poem is structured around a series of memories, each one sparked by a particular color or pattern on a woman's dress. This structure creates a sense of fragmentation and disorientation, as the memories themselves are disjointed and incomplete.

The poem's language is also notable for its ambiguity and multiple layers of meaning. For example, the line "It was the blue & plain ones" can be read in several ways. On one level, it refers to the specific dress that the speaker sees, but it can also be interpreted as a more general comment on the nature of memory. The word "ones" suggests a multiplicity of objects, and the phrase "blue & plain" can be seen as a metaphor for the way in which memories are often reduced to simple, abstract images.

Another key element of the poem is its use of color and pattern. Each memory is tied to a specific combination of these elements, which creates a sense of visual richness and depth. The colors themselves have symbolic associations - blue is often associated with sadness and melancholy, while red is associated with passion and danger. The patterns, too, have symbolic significance. Floral patterns suggest femininity and delicacy, while polka dots suggest playfulness and whimsy.

One of the most powerful aspects of the poem is its depiction of the relationship between memory and time. The speaker is acutely aware of the passage of time and the way in which memories can fade and distort over time. He longs to recapture the past, but he knows that this is impossible. The final lines of the poem, "there is no end" and "the past is always with us," suggest that memory is a constant presence in our lives, even as it remains elusive and incomplete.

Interpretation

Dream Song 110 is a deeply introspective and personal poem that reflects on the nature of memory and its relationship to identity. The speaker, Henry, is struggling to come to terms with his past and the people he has encountered along the way. The poem is filled with a sense of longing and nostalgia, as the speaker yearns to recapture the past and hold onto the people and experiences that have shaped him.

At the same time, the poem acknowledges the limitations of memory and the impossibility of fully recapturing the past. The fragmented structure of the poem, with its series of disjointed memories, reflects the way in which memories can be incomplete and distorted. The use of color and pattern creates a sense of visual richness, but it also underscores the way in which memories can be reduced to simple, abstract images.

Ultimately, the poem is a meditation on the nature of identity and the interplay between memory and time. The speaker is struggling to reconcile his past with his present, and he is acutely aware of the way in which memories can shape our sense of self. The final lines of the poem suggest that memory is a constant presence in our lives, even as it remains elusive and incomplete. The past is always with us, shaping who we are and who we will become.

Conclusion

John Berryman's Dream Song 110 is a powerful and complex poem that explores the nature of memory, identity, and time. The poem's fragmented structure, use of color and pattern, and ambiguous language create a sense of disorientation and complexity, reflecting the way in which memories can be incomplete and distorted. At the same time, the poem is deeply introspective and personal, reflecting the speaker's struggle to come to terms with his past and his sense of self. The final lines of the poem suggest that memory is a constant presence in our lives, even as it remains elusive and incomplete. In the end, Dream Song 110 is a masterful exploration of the human experience and the way in which memory shapes our lives.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Dream Song 110: It was the blue & plain ones. I forget all that, written by John Berryman, is a poem that captures the essence of memory and the fleeting nature of time. Berryman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, wrote this poem as part of his Dream Songs collection, which explores the complexities of the human psyche and the struggles of the modern man. In this analysis, we will delve into the themes, structure, and language of the poem to understand its significance and impact.

The poem begins with the speaker recalling a memory of a woman he once knew. He remembers her wearing "the blue & plain ones," which could refer to her clothing or her eyes. The use of the word "ones" is ambiguous, leaving the reader to interpret its meaning. The speaker then admits that he has forgotten everything else about her, except for this one detail. This sets the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a reflection on the nature of memory and how it shapes our perception of the world.

The first stanza ends with the line, "I forget all that." This line is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the speaker's struggle to remember the past. The repetition also creates a sense of rhythm and structure, which is characteristic of Berryman's style. The Dream Songs collection is known for its use of repetition and musicality, which adds to the emotional impact of the poems.

In the second stanza, the speaker reflects on the passage of time and how it affects memory. He says, "Time eats away the world." This line is a powerful metaphor for the way that memories fade and become distorted over time. The speaker acknowledges that he cannot remember everything about the woman he once knew, but he still holds onto the memory of her blue and plain clothing. This suggests that memory is selective and that we hold onto certain details while forgetting others.

The third stanza is where the poem takes a darker turn. The speaker says, "I have killed one man, I have killed two." This line is jarring and unexpected, as the poem has been focused on memory and the past up until this point. The sudden shift in tone creates a sense of unease and tension. The speaker then goes on to say that he has "many times lain with death," suggesting that he has had close brushes with mortality. This adds to the sense of urgency and desperation in the poem.

The fourth stanza returns to the theme of memory. The speaker says, "I forget all that," once again emphasizing the fleeting nature of memory. He then goes on to say that he remembers "the bones of my hands." This is a powerful image, as it suggests that the speaker is holding onto his own physicality as a way of grounding himself in reality. The use of the word "bones" also adds a sense of mortality and reminds the reader that we are all subject to the passage of time.

The final stanza is a reflection on the speaker's own mortality. He says, "I am not a coward, I have no ghosts." This line suggests that the speaker is at peace with his own mortality and has come to terms with the fact that he will one day die. The poem ends with the line, "I am not a hero, I am still alive." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that simply being alive is enough of a victory. The speaker has faced death and come out the other side, and that is something to be celebrated.

In terms of language, the poem is characterized by its use of repetition and ambiguity. The repetition of the phrase "I forget all that" creates a sense of rhythm and structure, while also emphasizing the fleeting nature of memory. The ambiguity of certain phrases, such as "the blue & plain ones," allows the reader to interpret the poem in their own way. This adds to the emotional impact of the poem, as each reader will bring their own experiences and memories to the interpretation.

Overall, Poetry Dream Song 110: It was the blue & plain ones. I forget all that, written by John Berryman, is a powerful reflection on memory, mortality, and the passage of time. The poem is characterized by its use of repetition, ambiguity, and musicality, which adds to its emotional impact. The poem is a reminder that our memories are fleeting and that we must cherish the moments we have while we still can.

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