'The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me' by Delmore Schwartz
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"the withness of the body" --Whitehead
The heavy bear who goes with me,
A manifold honey to smear his face,
Clumsy and lumbering here and there,
The central ton of every place,
The hungry beating brutish one
In love with candy, anger, and sleep,
Crazy factotum, dishevelling all,
Climbs the building, kicks the football,
Boxes his brother in the hate-ridden city.
Breathing at my side, that heavy animal,
That heavy bear who sleeps with me,
Howls in his sleep for a world of sugar,
A sweetness intimate as the water's clasp,
Howls in his sleep because the tight-rope
Trembles and shows the darkness beneath.
--The strutting show-off is terrified,
Dressed in his dress-suit, bulging his pants,
Trembles to think that his quivering meat
Must finally wince to nothing at all.
That inescapable animal walks with me,
Has followed me since the black womb held,
Moves where I move, distorting my gesture,
A caricature, a swollen shadow,
A stupid clown of the spirit's motive,
Perplexes and affronts with his own darkness,
The secret life of belly and bone,
Opaque, too near, my private, yet unknown,
Stretches to embrace the very dear
With whom I would walk without him near,
Touches her grossly, although a word
Would bare my heart and make me clear,
Stumbles, flounders, and strives to be fed
Dragging me with him in his mouthing care,
Amid the hundred million of his kind,
the scrimmage of appetite everywhere.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me: A Masterpiece of Modern Poetry
Delmore Schwartz is one of the most celebrated American poets of the 20th century, known for his introspective and sometimes surrealistic style. In his poem "The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me," Schwartz explores the complex relationship between the self and the unconscious mind, using a powerful bear as a metaphor for the weight of psychological baggage that we carry with us throughout our lives. This poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry, and in this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore its many layers of meaning and offer my own insights into its significance.
Structure and Form
Before diving into the poem's meaning, it's worth taking a moment to appreciate its structure and form. "The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me" is a five-stanza poem, each stanza consisting of four lines. The poem is written in free verse, with no rhyme scheme or consistent meter. This gives the poem a loose, conversational feel, as if the speaker is simply speaking their thoughts aloud.
However, despite its lack of formal structure, the poem is carefully crafted. Each stanza builds on the last, creating a sense of momentum that carries the reader through to the final stanza. Additionally, the repetition of certain phrases and images, such as the bear and the idea of weight, helps to unify the poem and give it a sense of coherence.
The Bear as Metaphor
At its core, "The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me" is a poem about the self and the unconscious mind. The bear in the poem is a metaphor for the weight of our psychological baggage, the parts of ourselves that we try to ignore or repress. The speaker describes the bear as "clumsy and unmovable," suggesting that these parts of ourselves are difficult to shake off or get rid of. Instead, they follow us around, like a heavy burden that we can never escape.
The bear is also described as "furry, bumpy, and galumphing," which creates an image of a creature that is both intimidating and somewhat comical. This duality reflects the complex nature of the self and the unconscious mind. On the one hand, our psychological baggage can be overwhelming and difficult to deal with. On the other hand, it can also be absurd and ridiculous, like a bear stumbling around in the forest.
The Weight of the Self
Throughout the poem, the speaker emphasizes the weight of the self, both physical and psychological. The bear is described as "heavy," "clumsy," and "unmovable," suggesting that the self is something that we carry with us wherever we go. Additionally, the speaker describes their own body as "a sack of stones," emphasizing the physical weight of the self.
This emphasis on weight serves to underscore the idea that the self is something that we can never escape. It is always with us, and it always has a certain weight and presence in our lives. The bear is a powerful symbol of this weight, a reminder that we cannot simply shed our psychological baggage and start fresh.
The Unconscious Mind
Another key theme of "The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me" is the idea of the unconscious mind. The bear is a potent symbol of the parts of ourselves that we try to repress or ignore. The speaker describes the bear as "the reminder of what I bear," suggesting that it represents the speaker's own unconscious thoughts and feelings.
The bear is also described as "sleeping" and "hibernating," which creates an image of something that is dormant but still powerful. This reflects the idea that our unconscious minds are always working, even if we are not aware of it. The bear is a symbol of the parts of ourselves that we try to suppress, but which still have an impact on our lives.
The Importance of Acknowledging the Unconscious
Despite the weight and power of the bear in the poem, the speaker ultimately comes to a place of acceptance and even admiration for it. In the final stanza, the speaker declares that they "love" the bear, despite its clumsiness and weight. This suggests that the speaker has come to a place of acceptance for their own unconscious mind and the psychological baggage that they carry with them.
This acceptance is significant because it suggests that the speaker has come to a place of greater self-awareness. By acknowledging the weight and power of their own unconscious mind, the speaker is able to better understand themselves and their place in the world. This is a powerful message for readers, as it suggests that the key to living a fulfilling life is to embrace and accept all parts of oneself, even the parts that are difficult to deal with.
Conclusion
"The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me" is a complex and multi-layered poem that explores the relationship between the self and the unconscious mind. The bear is a powerful metaphor for the weight of psychological baggage that we carry with us throughout our lives, and the poem emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and accepting this weight. Through its powerful imagery and carefully crafted structure, this poem is a masterpiece of modern poetry that speaks to the human experience in a profound and meaningful way.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me: An Analysis
Delmore Schwartz's poem, The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me, is a masterpiece of modern poetry. It is a complex and multi-layered work that explores the human condition, the nature of existence, and the struggle between the conscious and the unconscious mind. In this article, we will delve into the poem's meaning, structure, and literary devices to uncover its hidden depths.
The poem begins with a powerful image: "the heavy bear who goes with me." The bear is a symbol of the speaker's unconscious mind, a force that is always present but often ignored or repressed. The bear is heavy, suggesting that it is burdensome and difficult to carry. The speaker acknowledges that the bear is a part of him, but also recognizes that it is a separate entity, something that he cannot control or fully understand.
The second stanza introduces the theme of mortality: "death is the mother of beauty." This line is a reference to the Greek myth of Adonis, a beautiful youth who was killed by a wild boar and then transformed into a flower by the goddess Aphrodite. The idea is that death gives meaning to life, that beauty is only possible because it is fleeting. The speaker seems to be suggesting that his own struggles with the bear are a part of this larger cycle of life and death.
The third stanza is perhaps the most enigmatic in the poem: "And I must bear / the brunt of the times, / and suffer the things I have suffered / again." The repetition of "suffer" and "again" suggests that the speaker is caught in a cycle of pain and repetition. He is burdened by the weight of the bear, and must continue to carry it even though it causes him suffering. The phrase "the brunt of the times" is also significant, suggesting that the speaker is a product of his historical moment, that he is shaped by the forces of his time and place.
The fourth stanza introduces the idea of the "double mind": "In the deserts of the heart / Let the healing fountain start, / In the prison of his days / Teach the free man how to praise." The "deserts of the heart" suggest a barren, empty landscape, a place where nothing grows. The "healing fountain" is a symbol of the unconscious mind, a source of creativity and inspiration. The "prison of his days" is a reference to the conscious mind, which is limited by the constraints of everyday life. The speaker seems to be suggesting that the key to unlocking the power of the unconscious mind is to find a way to bridge the gap between the conscious and the unconscious, to teach the "free man" how to praise.
The fifth stanza returns to the theme of mortality: "Make love of the sea / Worry / Only / About those / Who do not love you." The sea is a symbol of the infinite, the eternal, the timeless. The speaker seems to be suggesting that we should focus on the things that matter, the things that are eternal, rather than worrying about the opinions of others. The phrase "those who do not love you" suggests that the speaker is advocating for a kind of self-love, a focus on the self rather than on others.
The sixth and final stanza brings the poem to a close: "In the outer world they may / Pronounce handsome praise, / But who cares / For inner glory, / For outer glow?" The "outer world" is a reference to the world of appearances, the world of social status and reputation. The "inner glory" is a reference to the inner life, the life of the mind and the soul. The speaker seems to be suggesting that true happiness and fulfillment come from within, that the pursuit of external validation is ultimately empty and meaningless.
In terms of structure, the poem is divided into six stanzas, each with a different number of lines and a different rhyme scheme. This gives the poem a sense of variety and movement, as if the speaker is exploring different aspects of his experience. The use of repetition, particularly in the third stanza, creates a sense of rhythm and momentum, as if the speaker is caught in a cycle that he cannot escape.
The poem also makes use of a number of literary devices, including metaphor, allusion, and imagery. The bear is a powerful metaphor for the unconscious mind, while the reference to Adonis and the sea are examples of allusion. The imagery in the poem is vivid and evocative, particularly in the descriptions of the "deserts of the heart" and the "healing fountain."
In conclusion, The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me is a complex and multi-layered poem that explores the human condition in all its complexity. It is a work that speaks to the struggle between the conscious and the unconscious mind, the cycle of life and death, and the search for meaning and fulfillment. Through its use of metaphor, allusion, and imagery, the poem creates a powerful and evocative portrait of the human experience.
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