John Berryman Criticism
John Berryman (1914–1972), a seminal figure in the American confessional poetry movement, is renowned for his unique ability to intertwine strict stanzaic structures with a lively poetic voice. His works delve into deeply personal and emotionally charged themes, positioning him alongside peers like Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath. Berryman's most acclaimed work, The Dream Songs, stands out as a personal epic composed of lyrical poems, engaging scholars and critics in debates about its themes and complexities. This collection exemplifies his talent in weaving complex narratives through informal, repetitive styles, as noted by Emma Fisher. The figure of "Henry," a tormented character through whom Berryman explores despair and humor, is central to the poems, as highlighted by Helen Vendler.
The originality and complexity of The Dream Songs are further analyzed by William Meredith in Henry Tasting All the Secret Bits of Life: Berryman's 'Dream Songs', acknowledging the work's humor and profundity. Clive James comments on its challenging multivocal structure in On John Berryman's 'Dream Songs', while James E. Miller, Jr. discusses its transformative journey from impersonal to personal poetry in The American Bard/Embarrassed Henry Heard Himself a-Being: John Berryman's 'Dream Song'. Arthur Oberg further explores the themes of love and artistic expression in John Berryman: 'The Dream Songs' and the Horror of Unlove.
Berryman's later works, such as Love & Fame and Delusions, Etc., illustrate a shift from his earlier confessional style to a more introspective and ego-driven narrative. This evolution is critiqued by Robert Phillips in Balling the Muse. His novel Recovery, analyzed by Carol Ames in The Form and the Language of John Berryman's 'Recovery', examines themes of addiction and artistic integrity. Diane Ackerman highlights Berryman's metaphysical quest for self-identity and transcendence in Near the Top a Bad Turn Dared.
Beyond his poetry, Berryman's critical work has also contributed significantly to literary analysis, showcasing his erudition and humor, particularly in his studies of figures like Shakespeare, as praised by William Pratt. Despite some structural weaknesses noted by Peter Stitt, his literary criticism provides intellectual engagement that challenges the "poet maudit" image. Berryman's poetry conveys both personal trials and broader human anxieties, as observed in Struggle and Surrender. Although his life ended tragically in 1972, his work continues to resonate, celebrated for its depth and innovative style.
Contents
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Berryman, John (Vol. 25)
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Henry Tasting All the Secret Bits of Life: Berryman's 'Dream Songs'
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In the following essay, William Meredith argues that John Berryman's 77 Dream Songs is a work of powerful originality and complexity, depicting the dream-autobiography of an enigmatic character named Henry, whose fluctuating identities and expressive diction create a richly humorous and profound narrative that transcends conventional poetic practices.
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On John Berryman's 'Dream Songs'
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In the following essay, Clive James argues that John Berryman's Dream Songs presents complex challenges through its multivocal structure and introspective themes, blending personal and universal elements, while acknowledging its sometimes opaque language and the poet's ability to embody both brilliance and missteps in examining the artistic condition.
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Balling the Muse
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In the following essay, Robert Phillips critiques John Berryman's poetic evolution from the "Dream Songs" to later works like "Love & Fame" and "Delusions, Etc.," highlighting Berryman's transition from confessional creativity and personae use to self-indulgent, ego-driven themes, ultimately concluding with a tone of genuine humility and reflection.
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John Berryman: 'The Dream Songs' and the Horror of Unlove
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In the following essay, Arthur Oberg analyzes John Berryman's The Dream Songs as a complex and ambitious poetic work that navigates themes of love, need, and artistic expression, highlighting Berryman's use of lyrical and narrative techniques to create a multifaceted exploration of human emotion and identity.
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The Form and the Language of John Berryman's 'Recovery'
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In the following essay, Carol Ames analyzes John Berryman's novel Recovery as a compelling exploration of the tension between traditional narrative forms and innovative experimentation, highlighting themes of addiction, truth, and the struggle for artistic integrity in the portrayal of a suicidal alcoholic.
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Near the Top a Bad Turn Dared
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In the following essay, Diane Ackerman argues that John Berryman's poetry, characterized by its complex grammar and psychological depth, embodies a struggle for self-identity and metaphysical exploration, with works like Homage to Mistress Bradstreet and Delusions, Etc. revealing a poignant quest for transcendence and grappling with existential doubts.
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The American Bard/Embarrassed Henry Heard Himself a-Being: John Berryman's 'Dream Song'
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In the following essay, James E. Miller, Jr. argues that John Berryman's The Dream Songs represents a transformative journey from impersonal to personal poetry, exploring themes such as death, personal trauma, and poetic identity, while drawing on Whitman's influence and addressing the artist's quest for meaning in life and art.
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Henry Tasting All the Secret Bits of Life: Berryman's 'Dream Songs'
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Berryman, John (Vol. 13)
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Randall Jarrell
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In the following essay, the critic examines John Berryman's evolution from a Yeats-influenced stylist to a distinct individual voice in "The Dispossessed," highlighting his conscious, dissonant, and allusive style that, while inconsistent, reveals potential for greater poetic achievements.
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William Dickey
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In the following essay, William Dickey argues that the power of John Berryman's His Toy, His Dream, His Rest lies in its unique language and voice, which blur distinctions between the poet and his character Henry, creating a personal yet universally resonant poetic world.
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Berryman's Last Hurrah
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In the following essay, Robert F. Moss critiques John Berryman's posthumously published collection, The Freedom of the Poet, highlighting its uneven quality, ranging from insightful literary analysis to flawed Freudian interpretations, yet ultimately acknowledging Berryman's broad cultural interests and significant contributions to literary criticism.
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Joel Conarroe
(summary)
In the following essay, Joel Conarroe examines John Berryman's poetic evolution from conventional forms to a unique style characterized by self-conscious artistry, emotional intensity, and the exploration of personal and universal truths, noting his early adherence to structured techniques and later experiments that led to his distinctive "confessional" voice.
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Fleur Adcock
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In the following essay, Fleur Adcock assesses the posthumous collection Henry's Fate, highlighting the value of its uncollected Dream Songs which are less obscured by Berryman's typical complex language, and comments on the raw emotion in the poems from the end of the poet's life.
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Randall Jarrell
(summary)
- Berryman, John (Vol. 3)
- Berryman, John (Vol. 1)
- Berryman, John (Vol. 4)
- Berryman, John (Vol. 6)
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Berryman, John (Vol. 10)
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John Haffenden
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In the following essay, John Haffenden highlights the thematic and stylistic consistency in John Berryman's essays, despite their varied formats and decades-spanning creation, and praises the depth and impact of Berryman's fiction and non-fiction, lamenting his inability to fully "reassemble his gift."
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William Pratt
(summary)
In the following essay, William Pratt argues that John Berryman's critical work is marked by erudition and humor, illuminating both major and minor authors, and that his essays, particularly on Shakespeare and modern poets, demonstrate a wide range of critical sympathies and a profound desire to understand literature.
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Helen Vendler
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In the following essay, Helen Vendler argues that John Berryman's poems, characterized by a blend of despair and humor, reveal his self-awareness and self-torture, particularly evident in his alter ego "Henry Pussycat," which allows him to maintain artistic distance from his personal anguish.
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John Berryman's Literary Criticism
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In the following essay, Peter Stitt argues that John Berryman's literary criticism, collected in "The Freedom of the Poet," reveals a serious, intellectual engagement with literature that defies his "poet maudit" image, emphasizing the importance of personality and life in understanding literary works, while noting some structural weaknesses in the collection.
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Emma Fisher
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In the following essay, Fisher examines Berryman's "Dream Songs," highlighting their informal, repetitive style and the complex portrayal of Henry as a tormented figure, while noting Berryman's unique language and the interconnectedness of the poems.
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Struggle and Surrender
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In the following essay, Edwin Morgan argues that John Berryman's poetry, characterized by its intense subjectivity and exploration of life's chaos, uniquely conveys both personal trials and broader human anxieties, despite the later works lacking the compelling idiosyncratic style of his earlier "dream songs."
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The Poetry of John Berryman
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In the following essay, Gary Q. Arpin examines the complex and often controversial nature of John Berryman's poetry, highlighting the intricate allusions and stylistic choices Berryman employs in works like The Dream Songs to challenge readers, reflect the absurdity of life, and express a modernist vision influenced by Symbolist aesthetics.
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John Haffenden
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