'Death Wants More Death' by Charles Bukowski


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death wants more death, and its webs are full:

I remember my father's garage, how child-like

I would brush the corpses of flies

from the windows they thought were escape-

their sticky, ugly, vibrant bodies

shouting like dumb crazy dogs against the glass

only to spin and flit

in that second larger than hell or heaven

onto the edge of the ledge,

and then the spider from his dank hole

nervous and exposed

the puff of body swelling

hanging there

not really quite knowing,

and then

Editor 1 Interpretation

Death Wants More Death: A Critical Analysis

Are you tired of the sugar-coated, sanitized version of life? Do you yearn for raw, unfiltered truth? Look no further than Charles Bukowski's poem "Death Wants More Death." This masterpiece of dark, unflinching poetry takes us to the edge of the abyss and dares us to stare it down.

At its core, "Death Wants More Death" is a meditation on mortality. Bukowski confronts the inevitability of death head-on, refusing to flinch or look away. The poem opens with the stark declaration: "Death wants more death, and its webs are full". This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, establishing death as a relentless force that can never be satisfied.

But Bukowski doesn't just dwell on death; he also explores the many ways we try to evade it. He writes about our addiction to pleasure and distraction, our obsession with money and power, and our fear of facing our own mortality. He exposes the emptiness of these pursuits, showing how they ultimately lead to a dead end: "The billionaires are plotting away, they care only for tomorrow. And the rich are sleeping in their beds, they care only for today."

Bukowski's language is spare and direct, but it packs a punch. He uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of a world that is both bleak and beautiful. In one memorable line, he describes the stars as "bright holes punched in blackness". This image captures the paradoxical nature of existence: we are both insignificant specks in the vastness of the universe and infinitely precious because of our brief moment in the sun.

But perhaps the most powerful aspect of "Death Wants More Death" is its unflinching honesty. Bukowski doesn't sugarcoat the harsh realities of life; he lays them bare for all to see. He shows us the ugliness of greed and the futility of chasing after material possessions. He exposes our deepest fears and insecurities, forcing us to confront them head-on.

In the end, Bukowski leaves us with a sense of both despair and hope. He acknowledges the inevitability of death, but he also suggests that there is something beyond it. He writes, "The living are soft and tender, the dead are hard and stiff. And so it is with all things, What has not yet lived cannot be firm." This line suggests that there is a kind of immortality in the very act of living.

Overall, "Death Wants More Death" is a brilliant and haunting poem that forces us to confront the most fundamental questions of life. It is a reminder that we are all mortal, and that our time on this earth is fleeting. But it is also a call to live boldly and fearlessly, to embrace the beauty and the pain of existence with open arms. As Bukowski himself wrote, "What matters most is how well you walk through the fire."

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Death Wants More Death: A Dark and Powerful Piece of Literature

Charles Bukowski, the renowned American poet, novelist, and short-story writer, is known for his raw and unapologetic style of writing. His works often depict the harsh realities of life, and his poem "Death Wants More Death" is no exception. This piece of literature is a dark and powerful exploration of the inevitability of death and the human condition.

The poem begins with the line "death wants more death, and its webs are full," setting the tone for the rest of the piece. Bukowski's use of personification gives death a sense of agency, as if it is a living entity with a desire for more death. The imagery of webs being full suggests that death has already claimed many victims and is hungry for more.

The second stanza continues with the theme of death's insatiable appetite, stating that "the cords stretch, they break, and the black angels start back, unwinged and disoriented." Here, Bukowski uses metaphor to describe the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The cords represent the threads of life that can be easily broken, and the black angels represent death itself. The fact that they are "unwinged and disoriented" suggests that even death can be caught off guard by the suddenness of life's end.

The third stanza takes a more personal turn, as Bukowski describes the death of a loved one. He writes, "the clock of the dead ticks on, the page is printed." The clock of the dead represents the passage of time after someone has died, and the page being printed suggests that their life story is complete. The use of the word "printed" also implies a sense of finality, as if the person's story is now set in stone.

The fourth stanza returns to the theme of death's hunger, stating that "we are mice running to the feet of a cold and indifferent cat." This metaphor suggests that death is a predator, and we are its prey. The use of the word "indifferent" implies that death does not care about our individual lives or circumstances, but simply seeks to claim us all in the end.

The fifth stanza takes a more philosophical turn, as Bukowski writes, "there is no other way but to be dead." This line suggests that death is an inevitable part of life, and that there is no escaping it. The use of the word "but" implies that death is something to be accepted rather than fought against.

The final stanza brings the poem full circle, as Bukowski writes, "we, stuffed with the bread of bitterness and sorrow, lay sleeping in the stained blankets of the past." This line suggests that we are all burdened by the pain and sadness of our past experiences, and that death is a release from this burden. The use of the word "stained" implies that our past experiences have left a mark on us that cannot be erased.

Overall, "Death Wants More Death" is a powerful and thought-provoking piece of literature. Bukowski's use of metaphor and personification creates a vivid and haunting image of death as a predator that is always hungry for more. The poem's exploration of the inevitability of death and the fragility of life is both dark and beautiful, and leaves the reader with a sense of awe and reverence for the mysteries of life and death.

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