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The Faber Berryman: Poems Selected by Michael Hofmann
Book by MICHAEL HOFMANN JOHN BERRYMAN
- GenresPoetry
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
John Berryman
146 books245 followersJohn Allyn Berryman (originally John Allyn Smith) was an American poet, born in McAlester, Oklahoma. He was a major figure in American poetry in the second half of the 20th century and often considered one of the founders of the Confessional school of poetry. He was the author of The Dream Songs, which are playful, witty, and morbid. Berryman committed suicide in 1972.
A pamphlet entitled Poems was published in 1942 and his first proper book, The Dispossessed, appeared six years later. Of his youthful self he said, 'I didn't want to be like Yeats; I wanted to be Yeats.' His first major work, in which he began to develop his own unique style of writing, was Homage to Mistress Bradstreet, which appeared in Partisan Review in 1953 and was published as a book in 1956. Another pamphle.
His thought made pockets & the plane buckt, followed. It was the collection called Dream Songs that earned him the most admiration. The first volume, entitled 77 Dream Songs, was published in 1964 and won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. The second volume, entitled His Toy, His Dream, His Rest, appeared in 1968.
The two volumes were combined as The Dream Songs in 1969. By that time Berryman, though not a "popular" poet, was well established as an important force in the literary world, and he was widely read among his contemporaries. In 1970 he published the drastically different Love & Fame. It received many negative reviews, along with a little praise, most notably from Saul Bellow and John Bailey. Despite its negative reception, its colloquial style and sexual forthrightness have influenced many younger poets, especially from Britain and Ireland. Delusions Etc., his bleak final collection, which he prepared for printing but did not live to see appear, continues in a similar vein. Another book of poems, Henry's Fate, culled from Berryman's manuscripts, appeared posthumously, as did a book of essays, The Freedom of the Poet, and some drafts of a novel, Recovery.
The poems that form Dream Songs involve a character who is by turns the narrator and the person addressed by a narrator. Because readers assumed that these voices were the poet speaking directly of himself, Berryman's poetry was considered part of the Confessional poetry movement. Berryman, however, scorned the idea that he was a Confessional poet.
A pamphlet entitled Poems was published in 1942 and his first proper book, The Dispossessed, appeared six years later. Of his youthful self he said, 'I didn't want to be like Yeats; I wanted to be Yeats.' His first major work, in which he began to develop his own unique style of writing, was Homage to Mistress Bradstreet, which appeared in Partisan Review in 1953 and was published as a book in 1956. Another pamphle.
His thought made pockets & the plane buckt, followed. It was the collection called Dream Songs that earned him the most admiration. The first volume, entitled 77 Dream Songs, was published in 1964 and won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. The second volume, entitled His Toy, His Dream, His Rest, appeared in 1968.
The two volumes were combined as The Dream Songs in 1969. By that time Berryman, though not a "popular" poet, was well established as an important force in the literary world, and he was widely read among his contemporaries. In 1970 he published the drastically different Love & Fame. It received many negative reviews, along with a little praise, most notably from Saul Bellow and John Bailey. Despite its negative reception, its colloquial style and sexual forthrightness have influenced many younger poets, especially from Britain and Ireland. Delusions Etc., his bleak final collection, which he prepared for printing but did not live to see appear, continues in a similar vein. Another book of poems, Henry's Fate, culled from Berryman's manuscripts, appeared posthumously, as did a book of essays, The Freedom of the Poet, and some drafts of a novel, Recovery.
The poems that form Dream Songs involve a character who is by turns the narrator and the person addressed by a narrator. Because readers assumed that these voices were the poet speaking directly of himself, Berryman's poetry was considered part of the Confessional poetry movement. Berryman, however, scorned the idea that he was a Confessional poet.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 15, 2025
I got caught up in a traffic jam recently and for two hours had this slim book at hand. I was grateful for it. I discovered Berryman after The Paris Review re-issued an interview with him just prior to his death in 1972.
The Irish connection is that he met W B Yeats, and his celtic friendship with Dylan Thomas I think shaped his some of his work - the poems aren't easy to read, but they offer so much up on re-reads. The rhythm is almost like a reel.
I think Berryman who has been neglected for so long, should be re-examined. You can hear his style in Tom Waits. Warren Zevon and Kenneth Koch; artists who have forged their own path.
Hoffman's introduction describes Berryman as a comet - seen coming for a very long time and blazing all too gloriously, all too short.
A wonderful little book
The Irish connection is that he met W B Yeats, and his celtic friendship with Dylan Thomas I think shaped his some of his work - the poems aren't easy to read, but they offer so much up on re-reads. The rhythm is almost like a reel.
I think Berryman who has been neglected for so long, should be re-examined. You can hear his style in Tom Waits. Warren Zevon and Kenneth Koch; artists who have forged their own path.
Hoffman's introduction describes Berryman as a comet - seen coming for a very long time and blazing all too gloriously, all too short.
A wonderful little book
May 21, 2022
"Bats have no bankers and they do not drink
and cannot be arrested and pay no tax
and, in general, bats have it made." from Dream Songs #63 (p36)
This is the first Berryman I've read, although I've had a copy of 77 Dream Songs sitting on my shelf, unread, for a while.
This selection, made by Michael Hofmann, a German poet, and comes with an introduction from him, which I found useful as I knew almost nothing about Berryman.
Berryman's work is entwined with literature. It is the poetry of a scholar and lover of literature that despite the influences of other poets seems to have produced something new and interesting. A sort of modern form sprinkled with a little tradition.
Berryman's subject include poetry, poets and the creation of poetry:
'The Care and Feeding of Long Poems' was Henry's title
for his next essay, which will come out when
he wants it to.
A Kennedy-sponsored bill for the protection
of poets from long poems will benefit the culture
and do no harm to that kind Lady, Mrs Johnson." from Dream Songs #354 (p74)
And, as that little extract above shows, there's a wit and humour to some of the poems that, as I first started reading, I thought I wasn't going to see.
Berryman covers other topics too, as you'd expect. But literature and friendship seem to be at the centre of his work. (I'm obviously no expert so will sit to be corrected.) Some of my favourite poems in the collection are about the loss of a friend and their memory. There's a suite of poems within The Dream Songs written after the death of his friend, the poet Delmore Schwartz.
"This world is gradually become a place
where I do not care to be any more. Can Delmore die?
I don't suppose
in all those years a day went every by
without a loving though for him. Welladay,
In the brightness of his promise." from Dream Songs #149
And there's a beautiful poem, from Delusions etc called In Memoriam (1914-1953)written about Dylan Thomas that ends:
"O down a many few, old friend,
and down a many few." (p86)
I'll pick up that 77 Dream Songs now after this. I recommend it. Not ever poem is simple but I love his use of language - which is a bit like praising a goalkeeper for being a good shot stopper as it is the minimum you need to call yourself a goalkeeper. It's damning with faint praise - and his choice of images. I like the slightly scholar edge to his work, which avoids being rendered to cold and distant though which is often the sin of the scholarly writer.
More Berryman I think.
and cannot be arrested and pay no tax
and, in general, bats have it made." from Dream Songs #63 (p36)
This is the first Berryman I've read, although I've had a copy of 77 Dream Songs sitting on my shelf, unread, for a while.
This selection, made by Michael Hofmann, a German poet, and comes with an introduction from him, which I found useful as I knew almost nothing about Berryman.
Berryman's work is entwined with literature. It is the poetry of a scholar and lover of literature that despite the influences of other poets seems to have produced something new and interesting. A sort of modern form sprinkled with a little tradition.
Berryman's subject include poetry, poets and the creation of poetry:
'The Care and Feeding of Long Poems' was Henry's title
for his next essay, which will come out when
he wants it to.
A Kennedy-sponsored bill for the protection
of poets from long poems will benefit the culture
and do no harm to that kind Lady, Mrs Johnson." from Dream Songs #354 (p74)
And, as that little extract above shows, there's a wit and humour to some of the poems that, as I first started reading, I thought I wasn't going to see.
Berryman covers other topics too, as you'd expect. But literature and friendship seem to be at the centre of his work. (I'm obviously no expert so will sit to be corrected.) Some of my favourite poems in the collection are about the loss of a friend and their memory. There's a suite of poems within The Dream Songs written after the death of his friend, the poet Delmore Schwartz.
"This world is gradually become a place
where I do not care to be any more. Can Delmore die?
I don't suppose
in all those years a day went every by
without a loving though for him. Welladay,
In the brightness of his promise." from Dream Songs #149
And there's a beautiful poem, from Delusions etc called In Memoriam (1914-1953)written about Dylan Thomas that ends:
"O down a many few, old friend,
and down a many few." (p86)
I'll pick up that 77 Dream Songs now after this. I recommend it. Not ever poem is simple but I love his use of language - which is a bit like praising a goalkeeper for being a good shot stopper as it is the minimum you need to call yourself a goalkeeper. It's damning with faint praise - and his choice of images. I like the slightly scholar edge to his work, which avoids being rendered to cold and distant though which is often the sin of the scholarly writer.
More Berryman I think.
Read
September 7, 2025Horrible cover art, isn't it? I've not read any Berryman since my early 20s, when I had a big phase of being into American poetry. Now I think he left more of a mark on me than I realised, though overall I find him very hit or miss. The poems I like are the more transparent ones, some of the sonnets, some of the Dream Songs (the ones without too much 'Mr Bones'), and the really sad stuff: 'All the world like a woolen lover/ once did seem on Henry's side./ Then came a departure. / Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.'
August 30, 2019
Clearly a talented poet, but not to my taste - too much melodrama. There were a few I liked - the tribute to Dylan Thomas was touching.
Read
January 26, 2016Rating: 3 1/2. Some good stuff here, but a lot of muck to wade through to get to it. It might just be that Hofmann selected different poems from Berryman's catalog than I would have.
Intro from Michael Hofmann: Berryman's father's suicide, his own suicide, his late achievement of success as a poet, his three hats - poet, scholar, teacher, etc.
Hofmann selected 21 sonnets, of which one stood out to me: #115.
Hofmann included 58 dream songs, three of which stood out to me:
#90 - on Randall Jarrell
#150 - on Delmore Schwartz
#151 - on Schwartz
Three other pieces are worth mentioning here:
"First Night at Sea"
"Of Suicide"
"He Resigns"
soiled hangs the rag of day out over this town - Sonnet #13
Others are for his life-long omission glad
& published their works as soon as he came to a stop
& could not review them. - Dream Song #205 (on A.E. Housman)
Intro from Michael Hofmann: Berryman's father's suicide, his own suicide, his late achievement of success as a poet, his three hats - poet, scholar, teacher, etc.
Hofmann selected 21 sonnets, of which one stood out to me: #115.
Hofmann included 58 dream songs, three of which stood out to me:
#90 - on Randall Jarrell
#150 - on Delmore Schwartz
#151 - on Schwartz
Three other pieces are worth mentioning here:
"First Night at Sea"
"Of Suicide"
"He Resigns"
soiled hangs the rag of day out over this town - Sonnet #13
Others are for his life-long omission glad
& published their works as soon as he came to a stop
& could not review them. - Dream Song #205 (on A.E. Housman)
March 28, 2017
Berryman was considered a Confessional poet although he himself rejected this label. His poems are influential to other poets, and as such, he deserves study. Unfortunately, I just didn’t find much in this collection that resonated with me. The lone exception is He Resigns:
See my other reviews here!
Age, and the deaths, and the ghosts.
Her having gone away
in spirit from me. Hosts
of regrets come & find me empty.
I don’t feel this will change.
I don’t want any thing
or person, familiar or strange.
I don’t think I will sing
any more just now;
ever. I must start
to sit with a blind brow
above an empty heart. (88)
See my other reviews here!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews