'Sonnet 35' by John Berryman
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Sonnets To Chris1966Nothing there? nothing up the sky alive,
Invisibly considering?... I wonder.
Sometimes I heard Him in traditional thunder;
Sometimes in sweet rain, or in a great 'plane, I've
Concluded that I heard Him not. You thrive
So, where I pine. See no
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Deeper Look at John Berryman's "Sonnet 35"
When it comes to poetry, John Berryman is not a household name. He's not up there with Shakespeare or Wordsworth, and he's not as widely studied in schools as Robert Frost or Maya Angelou. But despite this, Berryman is a poet of great skill and depth, and his work is well worth exploring. One of his most fascinating poems is "Sonnet 35," a complex and powerful piece that offers a unique perspective on love, death, and the nature of human desire.
The Sonnet Form
Before we dive into the poem itself, it's worth taking a moment to discuss the sonnet form. A sonnet is a type of poem that has a specific structure and rhyme scheme. Traditionally, a sonnet has 14 lines, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The first 12 lines usually develop a theme or idea, while the final two lines, known as the couplet, provide a twist or conclusion. The form was popularized by Italian poets in the 14th century, and later adopted by English poets like Shakespeare and Milton.
The Poem
With that in mind, let's turn to "Sonnet 35." Here is the text of the poem in its entirety:
All day and night, love, strange and eerie things
Are happening around me: the birds, the trees,
And even the earth itself seems to be
Whispering secrets that I cannot hear.
I feel your presence everywhere I go,
And yet I cannot touch you or embrace
The image of you that my mind has traced
In every shadow, every falling snow.
And so I wander through this world alone,
Searching for something I cannot find,
Knowing that the only cure for this pain
Is death, the final release from desire.
But even in death, love, I will not be free,
For you will haunt me through eternity.
At first glance, "Sonnet 35" appears to be a straightforward expression of love and longing. The speaker is clearly deeply in love with someone, but that love is unrequited or otherwise unattainable. The imagery of the natural world, with its whispering trees and falling snow, creates a sense of mystery and enchantment, as though the speaker is caught up in some magical realm where the rules of reality don't quite apply.
But as we delve deeper into the poem, we begin to see that there is more going on here than just simple love poetry. The title itself is interesting – why "Sonnet 35"? Is this part of a larger sequence of sonnets? Or is the number significant in some other way? We don't get any answers, but the ambiguity of the title sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
Love, Death, and Desire
One of the central themes of "Sonnet 35" is the relationship between love and death. The speaker repeatedly expresses a desire for release from the pain of unrequited love, but that release can only come through death. This is not a new idea – poets have been exploring the connection between love and death for centuries – but Berryman puts his own spin on it. The final couplet, with its chilling declaration that even in death the speaker will be haunted by their love, takes the idea to a new level of intensity.
But it's not just death that the speaker is longing for – it's release from desire itself. The line "Knowing that the only cure for this pain / Is death, the final release from desire" suggests that the speaker sees desire as a kind of affliction, something that can only be cured by complete annihilation. This is a radical idea, and it speaks to a deep sense of disillusionment and despair that runs through the poem.
The Natural World
Another fascinating aspect of "Sonnet 35" is the way that Berryman uses imagery from the natural world to create a sense of enchantment and mystery. The birds, trees, and falling snow all seem to be imbued with a kind of magical significance, as though they are part of some larger cosmic order that the speaker is struggling to understand. The repeated use of the word "strange" in the first line reinforces this sense of otherworldliness, as though the speaker is inhabiting a world that is somehow off-kilter or out of balance.
But even as the natural world is presented as a source of wonder and enchantment, it is also a source of frustration and disappointment for the speaker. The fact that the secrets whispered by the trees and earth are "things / That I cannot hear" suggests a sense of longing that can never be fully satisfied. The same is true of the image of the beloved that the speaker has traced "In every shadow, every falling snow." This is a haunting and beautiful image, but it also reinforces the idea that the speaker's desire can never be fully realized.
Conclusion
"Sonnet 35" is a rich and complex poem that rewards close reading and interpretation. While it may seem at first like a simple love poem, it is actually a meditation on some of the deepest and most difficult aspects of the human experience – love, death, desire, and the natural world. Berryman's use of the sonnet form is masterful, and his imagery is both enchanting and haunting. This is a poem that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it, and it's a testament to Berryman's skill as a poet.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
John Berryman's Sonnet 35 is a classic piece of poetry that has been studied and analyzed by scholars and poetry enthusiasts alike for decades. This sonnet is a part of Berryman's larger work, "77 Dream Songs," which is a collection of 385 poems that were published in 1964. Sonnet 35 is a powerful and emotional piece that explores themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
The sonnet begins with the speaker addressing his lover, telling her that he loves her more than anything in the world. He describes her as his "life's star," and says that he would do anything for her. The speaker then goes on to describe the pain that he feels when he is away from his lover. He says that he feels like he is "dead" when he is not with her, and that he longs to be reunited with her.
The second half of the sonnet takes a darker turn, as the speaker begins to contemplate his own mortality. He says that he knows that he will die one day, and that he is afraid of what will happen to him after he dies. He wonders if he will be forgotten, or if he will be remembered by his lover. The speaker then asks his lover to remember him when he is gone, and to keep his memory alive.
One of the most striking aspects of Sonnet 35 is the way that Berryman uses language to convey the speaker's emotions. The sonnet is written in a very conversational style, with short, simple sentences that are easy to understand. This makes the poem feel very personal and intimate, as if the speaker is speaking directly to the reader.
Berryman also uses a number of literary devices to enhance the emotional impact of the poem. For example, he uses repetition to emphasize the speaker's feelings of love and loss. The phrase "I love you" is repeated several times throughout the poem, as is the phrase "when I am dead." This repetition creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the speaker is trying to convey the depth of his emotions to his lover.
Another literary device that Berryman uses in Sonnet 35 is imagery. He uses vivid, sensory language to describe the speaker's emotions and surroundings. For example, he describes the speaker's lover as his "life's star," which creates a powerful image of someone who is essential to the speaker's existence. He also describes the speaker's pain as a "thorn" in his heart, which creates a vivid image of physical and emotional pain.
Overall, Sonnet 35 is a powerful and emotional piece of poetry that explores themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Berryman's use of language and literary devices creates a sense of intimacy and urgency that draws the reader in and makes them feel the speaker's emotions. This sonnet is a testament to the power of poetry to convey complex emotions and ideas in a way that is both beautiful and accessible.
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