John berryman

1. Week Twenty
John Berryman
(1914-1972)
Dream SongsDream Songs

2. BiographyBiography
Born 1914 in McAlester, OklahomaBorn 1914 in McAlester, Oklahoma
Son of Catholic parents, whose restaurant went bust in Son of Catholic parents, whose restaurant went bust in
19261926
Father shot dead in 1926: police pronounce suicide, Father shot dead in 1926: police pronounce suicide,
though evidence suggested foul playthough evidence suggested foul play
A successful academic career at school counterbalanced A successful academic career at school counterbalanced
by social alienation, which lead to a suicide attemptby social alienation, which lead to a suicide attempt
While at Columbia and Cambridge, influenced by Yeats While at Columbia and Cambridge, influenced by Yeats
and Shakespeareand Shakespeare

3. ““By most accounts, though, Berryman never quite By most accounts, though, Berryman never quite
evolved into a sane, stable adult. evolved into a sane, stable adult.
““Gangly and often bearded, Berryman was an Gangly and often bearded, Berryman was an
insomniac, a hypochondriac, an accident-prone, chain-insomniac, a hypochondriac, an accident-prone, chain-
smoking alcoholic, and a depressive with suicidal smoking alcoholic, and a depressive with suicidal
tendencies, inept at carrying out daily tasks like cooking tendencies, inept at carrying out daily tasks like cooking
or driving a car. or driving a car.
““Socially, Berryman played the troublemaker, Socially, Berryman played the troublemaker,
proclaiming his erudite opinions with belligerent force, proclaiming his erudite opinions with belligerent force,
womanizing with unsubtle abandon, leaving enemies in womanizing with unsubtle abandon, leaving enemies in
his wake.”. his wake.”.
From an article by Steve Healey

4. ““Living and teaching in Iowa City, Berryman fell into a Living and teaching in Iowa City, Berryman fell into a
nasty argument with another teacher. nasty argument with another teacher.
““Later that evening, by then drunk, he entered an Later that evening, by then drunk, he entered an
argument with his landlord, dropped his trousers, and argument with his landlord, dropped his trousers, and
shat on the man's front porch, an offense for which he shat on the man's front porch, an offense for which he
was arrested and jailed. was arrested and jailed.
““The incident made local news, and within days The incident made local news, and within days
Berryman was fired.” Berryman was fired.”

5. Best known for Best known for Dream SongsDream Songs, a long poem in 395 parts, , a long poem in 395 parts,
featuring an antihero named ‘Henry’.featuring an antihero named ‘Henry’.
In 1972, following a period marked by ‘erratic’ behaviour In 1972, following a period marked by ‘erratic’ behaviour
and waning critical success, throws himself to his death and waning critical success, throws himself to his death
from a bridge in Minnesota.from a bridge in Minnesota.

6. Dream Songs - 1Dream Songs - 1
Huffy Henry hidHuffy Henry hid the day,the day,
unappeasable Henry sulked.unappeasable Henry sulked.
I see his point, - a trying to put things over.I see his point, - a trying to put things over.
It was the thought that they thought It was the thought that they thought
they could they could do do it made Henry wicked and away.it made Henry wicked and away.
But he should have come out and talked. But he should have come out and talked.
All the world like a woolen lover All the world like a woolen lover
once did seem on Henry’s side.once did seem on Henry’s side.
Then came a departure.Then came a departure.
Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.
I don’t see how Henry, pried I don’t see how Henry, pried
open for all the world to see, survived.open for all the world to see, survived.
What he has now to say is a longWhat he has now to say is a long
wonder the world can bear & be.wonder the world can bear & be.
Once in a sycamore I was gladOnce in a sycamore I was glad
all at the top, and I sang.all at the top, and I sang.
Hard on the land wears the strong seaHard on the land wears the strong sea
and empty grows every bedand empty grows every bed

7. Huffy Henry hidHuffy Henry hid the day,the day,
unappeasable Henry sulked.unappeasable Henry sulked.
I see his point, - a trying to put things over.I see his point, - a trying to put things over.
It was the thought that they thought It was the thought that they thought
they could they could do do it made Henry wicked and away.it made Henry wicked and away.
But he should have come out and talked. But he should have come out and talked.
•Space: signifies what?
•How does is relate to the word
‘hid’?
•Transitive or intransitive?
•Indexicals: fragmented
perspective
•Relate to adjectives above
•Indefinite article:
•Ambiguous: his or their or
my?
•How does this choice
condition ‘put things over’?
•Absent verb (‘go’)?
•How does this affect the adjectives?
•If it were present, how would the modal verb operate differently?
•Predication: state or effect? Event, perception, language.

8. All the world like a woolen lover All the world like a woolen lover
once did seem on Henry’s side.once did seem on Henry’s side.
Then came a departure.Then came a departure.
Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.
I don’t see how Henry, pried I don’t see how Henry, pried
open for all the world to see, survived.open for all the world to see, survived.

•Unravel the syntax:
•To what does ‘once’ apply?
•To what does ‘seem’ apply?
•Is the world ‘like a woolen lover’ generally, or only when at Henry’s side, or
only when seeming at Henry’s side?
•The verb ‘come’ is
inadequate to delineate the
meaning, suggesting both its
physical and sequential
dimensions
•Comic irony on the arrival of
the departure.

9. What he has now to say is a longWhat he has now to say is a long
wonder the world can bear & be.wonder the world can bear & be.
Once in a sycamore I was gladOnce in a sycamore I was glad
all at the top, and I sang.all at the top, and I sang.
Hard on the land wears the strong seaHard on the land wears the strong sea
and empty grows every bedand empty grows every bed

•Subject deferral
•Transitive or intransitive?
•How is meaning
conditioned by this choice?

10. Some ideas:Some ideas:
SpacesSpaces
PerspectivePerspective
Absent verbs, nouns, etcAbsent verbs, nouns, etc
Types within word classes (ie types of Types within word classes (ie types of
predication; transitive and intransitive verbs)predication; transitive and intransitive verbs)
Syntactical ambiguitySyntactical ambiguity
Lexical ambiguityLexical ambiguity
Multiple referenceMultiple reference
IndexicalsIndexicals