'Dream Song 40: I'm scared a lonely. Never see my son' by John Berryman


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I'm scared a lonely. Never see my son,
easy be not to see anyone,
combers out to sea
know they're goin somewhere but not me.
Got a little poison, got a little gun,
I'm scared a lonely.

I'm scared a only one thing, which is me,
from othering I don't take nothin, see,
for any hound dog's sake.
But this is where I livin, where I rake
my leaves and cop my promise, this' where we
cry oursel's awake.

Wishin was dyin but I gotta make
it all this way to that bed on these feet
where peoples said to meet.
Maybe but even if I see my son
forever never, get back on the take,
free, black & forty-one.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Dream Song 40: I'm scared a lonely. Never see my son by John Berryman

“I’m scared a lonely. Never see my son, easy be not to see anyone, combers out to sea know they’re goin somewhere but not me & nothin I do can make a space breast-high where they may swim.

’cept here in sleep, his books under my pillow, in my head that I see him, poison-tongued, angel-wrestler, fifty times a day.

The rest of the time I’m dead.”

John Berryman’s Dream Song 40: I’m scared a lonely. Never see my son is a poem that presents the emotional turmoil of a father who is separated from his son. The poem is a part of a larger collection of 385 poems called The Dream Songs. The Dream Songs are often described as an epic of the consciousness of a character named Henry. The poems are written in free verse and have a surreal and dreamlike quality to them. Dream Song 40 is no exception. The poem is a deeply personal and emotional piece that speaks to the universal human experience of loneliness and the fear of separation from loved ones.

The poem opens with the speaker expressing his fear of being lonely. The speaker is scared that he will never see his son again. This fear is deep and overwhelming, and it sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker’s fear is understandable given the fact that he is separated from his son. The separation has caused him to be lonely and fearful of losing the bond he shares with his son.

The second line of the poem, “easy be not to see anyone,” suggests that the speaker is not only scared of being lonely but also finds it easier to avoid seeing people altogether. This line speaks to the speaker’s sense of isolation and detachment from the world around him. The speaker is so consumed by his fear and loneliness that he has withdrawn from the world. This withdrawal is a coping mechanism that helps him avoid the pain of being separated from his son.

The third line of the poem, “combers out to sea know they’re goin somewhere but not me,” is a powerful metaphor that speaks to the speaker’s sense of aimlessness and uncertainty. The speaker is lost and unsure of where he is going or what his future holds. He feels like he is adrift in the sea of life, without direction or purpose. This sense of aimlessness is a result of his separation from his son. The bond he shares with his son gave him purpose and direction, and without it, he feels lost and disconnected.

The fourth line of the poem, “& nothin I do can make a space breast-high where they may swim,” is a poignant expression of the speaker’s inability to bridge the gap between himself and his son. The speaker is powerless to create a space where he and his son can swim together. This line speaks to the deep sense of loss and separation that the speaker feels. He is unable to connect with his son, and this inability is a source of tremendous pain and sadness for him.

The fifth line of the poem, “’cept here in sleep,” is a powerful admission of the speaker’s reliance on his dreams to connect with his son. The speaker’s dreams are the only place where he can be with his son again. This line speaks to the power of the human imagination and the ability of dreams to transport us to another world. The speaker’s dreams are a source of comfort and solace for him. They allow him to be with his son again, even if only in his mind.

The sixth line of the poem, “his books under my pillow, in my head,” speaks to the speaker’s deep connection with his son. The speaker keeps his son’s books close to him, as a reminder of the bond they share. The books serve as a tangible connection to his son, and they allow the speaker to feel closer to him. The speaker’s love for his son is palpable in this line, and it speaks to the power of familial bonds.

The seventh and eighth lines of the poem, “that I see him, poison-tongued, angel-wrestler, fifty times a day. The rest of the time I’m dead,” are a powerful expression of the speaker’s emotional state. The speaker sees his son in his dreams, but the image of him is not always positive. The son is described as both “poison-tongued” and “angel-wrestler.” This suggests that the father has a complex relationship with his son, one that is both loving and challenging. The fact that the speaker sees his son “fifty times a day” suggests that his thoughts are consumed by his son. He is unable to escape the pain of their separation, even in his dreams. The final line of the poem, “The rest of the time I’m dead,” is a powerful expression of the speaker’s emotional state. The separation from his son has caused him to feel dead inside. He is unable to feel alive or connected to the world around him.

Dream Song 40 is a powerful and emotionally charged poem that speaks to the universal human experience of loneliness and the fear of separation from loved ones. The speaker’s sense of loss and detachment is palpable throughout the poem, and it speaks to the power of familial bonds. The poem is a testament to the human capacity for love and the deep emotional pain that comes from separation. John Berryman’s Dream Song 40 is a masterpiece of modern poetry, and it stands as a testament to the power of the human spirit to endure even the most profound emotional pain.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Dream Song 40: I'm scared a lonely. Never see my son is a classic poem written by John Berryman, an American poet who is known for his confessional style of writing. This poem is a part of his collection of poems called The Dream Songs, which was published in 1969. The Dream Songs is a series of 385 poems that are written in a unique style, combining elements of both free verse and traditional forms of poetry. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem Dream Song 40: I'm scared a lonely. Never see my son in detail.

The poem begins with the line "I'm scared a lonely," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker is expressing his fear of being alone, which is a common theme in Berryman's poetry. The speaker then goes on to say that he never sees his son, which adds to his feelings of loneliness and isolation. The line "never see my son" is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the speaker's longing for his son's presence.

The second stanza of the poem begins with the line "easy to forget," which suggests that the speaker is trying to forget his loneliness and the fact that he never sees his son. However, he is unable to do so, as the line "never see my son" is repeated once again. The speaker then goes on to say that he is "not lonely, / not afraid," which seems to contradict the first line of the poem. However, this could be interpreted as the speaker trying to convince himself that he is not lonely or afraid, even though he clearly is.

The third stanza of the poem is where the speaker's emotions really start to come through. He says that he is "mad with love" for his son, which shows just how much he longs to see him. The line "never see my son" is repeated once again, emphasizing the speaker's desperation. The speaker then goes on to say that he is "mad with waiting" for his son, which suggests that he has been waiting for a long time to see him.

The fourth stanza of the poem is where the speaker's emotions reach a climax. He says that he is "mad with absence," which shows just how much his son's absence has affected him. The line "never see my son" is repeated once again, but this time it is followed by the line "easy to forget." This suggests that the speaker is trying to forget his son's absence, but he is unable to do so.

The final stanza of the poem is where the speaker's emotions start to calm down. He says that he is "mad with love / and fear," which shows that he is torn between his love for his son and his fear of never seeing him again. The line "never see my son" is repeated one last time, but this time it is followed by the line "that knocks me down." This suggests that the speaker is emotionally overwhelmed by his son's absence.

In conclusion, Dream Song 40: I'm scared a lonely. Never see my son is a powerful poem that explores the theme of loneliness and the longing for human connection. The poem is written in a unique style that combines elements of both free verse and traditional forms of poetry. The repetition of the line "never see my son" emphasizes the speaker's desperation and longing for his son's presence. The poem is a testament to Berryman's skill as a poet and his ability to capture complex emotions in a few short lines.

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