god I got the sad blue blues,
this woman sat there and she
said
are you really Charles

Bukowski?

and I said

forget that

I do not feel good
I’ve got the sad sads
all I want to do is
fuck you
and she laughed
she thought I was being
clever
and O I just looked up her long slim legs of heaven
I saw her liver and her quivering intestine
I saw Christ in there
jumping to a folk-rock
all the long lines of starvation within me
rose
and I walked over
and grabbed her on the couch
ripped her dress up around her face
and I didn’t care
rape or the end of the earth
one more time
to be there
anywhere
real
yes
her panties were on the
floor
and my cock went in
my cock my god my cock went in
I was Charles
Somebody.
 

Analysis, meaning and summary of Charles Bukowski's poem Somebody

17 Comments

  1. Jenna says:

    Preved dyatlam!

  2. mark says:

    I am in awe. The general misunderstandings of sheep overwhelmed by a compulsion to comment on something they clearly didnt take the time or effort to understand scares me. And somehow they have drivers licences’, and even worse, they procreate.

  3. Michael says:

    First, Bukowski was a known misogynist, as well as an alcoholic, and the chances are very good this is based on some, perhaps many, first hand experiences. Bukowski was arrested on charges of rape at least once in his life (as he has mentioned in various interviews), but the charges were dropped. Of course, we all know that this does not mean that he didn’t rape anyone. Sadly, I am almost sure that he did. It is a sign of the society we live in that such things happen to women every single day, to our mothers, sisters, daughters, all while the problem is quietly swept up and ignored. Bukowski has a serious problem and this should not be ignored simply because he wrote well.

    Secondly, Bukowski was a great writer. That he was never accepted by “the academics” is wholly irrelevant. He had a directness, a way of cutting through all metaphors and pretention straight to the heart of whatever he was writing about in a way that has seldom been matched. Academics don’t like him, not because he wrote often about drinking, gambling, poverty, sex, and the like—the don’t like him because they think poetry should be above the common man—not for him. I happen to think they are wrong on this, and detest most of the poetry they write and endorse. Bukowski had a style that was certainly admirable, and unique. I happen to think he was one of the finest writers of the last century.

    However, how you reconcile those facts with the reality of his obvious shortcomings is difficult, and up to each on his or her own to decide. I think it is important not to idolize the man. Admire his writing, but recognize his shortcomings. Rape is a very serious problem, the derogatory treatment of women one of the greatest injustices in the history of humanity, and we would do well to keep this in mind. Even as we read and admire writers of the past.

  4. ronny says:

    great poem.

  5. Becky says:

    While, yes, it’s silly and ignorant that some in these comments are upset about Bukowski posting this on the internet because he clearly could not do so, being upset at his blatant misogyny is not silly. If anyone in contemporary poetry is a bastard whose demeaning depictions of women are influential and damaging to the reader, it’s Bukowski. He may not indeed care what I think, but it does not prevent me as a reader from critiquing the systems of portrayal he develops. Such dismissal of the female just so this supposed “poor toertured soul” can “finally feel something” is offensive and cliche.

    Honestly, though, he’s not worth most serious readers’ time. He is pop-poetry being enjoyed by the mediocre because he is simple enough for them to understand–they confuse his bluntness for shocking depth and pat themselves on the back for relating to his cynicism. Can we finally give up on praising the ludricrous concept of the lone male genius? Look it up: his work has been largely ignored by academics, and for a reason. Spouting misogynist bullshit doesn’t make a poet worthy of our time.

  6. Colette says:

    Oh man, is this joke? How could anyone think that Bukowski cares that they critisize his rape of someone? I promise you two things: You totally misread the poem and he really doesnt care what you think. You should do some background on this guy, he is really amazing. Also, maybe you should take a class on how to read poetry.

  7. Tyler says:

    Are you people actually serious? Charles Bukowski wrote this poem before all of you were born. And even if he did rape someone(which he didn’t) the point of the poem is that rape is something that causes powerful emotions in people. This makes it the perfect candidate for poetry, because after all, the best poems aren’t about the fucking red rose, they are about the serious emotions that we all feel. It is power like that which the poem posesses that caused Bukowski to be regarded as one of the greatest poets in the 20th century.

  8. jessica says:

    stupidity. if any of the people who posted comments about this poem has ever read anything before in thier lives i would be very shocked and disappointed. the key to poetry is NOT TAKING IT LITERALY YOU MUST READ BETWEEN THE LINES. NO BUKOWSKI DIDN’T RAPE THE FUCKING GIRL SHE WAS OVER AT HIS APARTMENT AND PROBABLY WANTED TO FUCK HIM MORE THEN HE DID HER. RAPE IS NOT A FUNNY THING BUT IT IS VERY REAL. IN THIS POEM BUKOWSKI IS USING THE WORD RAPE FIGURATIVELY DESCRIBING THE TYPE OF SEX (CONSENTUAL SEX) HE IS ABOUT TO HAVE WITH THIS GIRL. the poem is raw and real and about animal instinct not a felony crime, read some more about this author he might change your life and the way you read. that is if you learn how to read………….

  9. jessica says:

    I though that was a very good poem and very powerfull it makes a person think about what they would do if it ever happned to them I loved it

  10. Melanie says:

    How could you just write this and post it on the internet for people to see? Is this true? I hope it’s not. I was raped once and it was a horrible experience. I felt like dying afterwards, you don’t even know! Or maybe you do, either way you’re a sicko and you need to be taught some kind of lesson… Do you really think that rape makes you someone??

  11. elizabeth says:

    i find this poem VERY offensive. i was a rape victim not too long ago and to think this guy didnt even care about what he did… that it just made him “somebody”.. well guess what it makes you a nobody! people that have no consent to have sex shouldnt. this should be taken off the internet this guy cant be made known because he raped a girl. its wrong and so is exposing it to the public. wow he must be pretty proud of what he did to tell and show everyone.. what a jerk

  12. Stanislav says:

    Wait… Did 5 different people asked Charles Bukowski why he wrote and posted this on the internet just now?
    People, you might want to actually click on the name of the author and read a little…

  13. Natasha says:

    My gosh, very shoking.
    I am also yet another poet who adores power of the words yet I think that this isn’t something I enjoy reading.
    Coming from a girl who has acctualy been raped, I don’t know how you could write something like this, well write okay but post on internet? well, all and all it is a good poem for it unlocks an emotion yet I don’t think it to be a poem I will read more often.

  14. victoria says:

    wow thats was a really powerful poem!I would hope it is not true because if it is why would you put that online so people could see what you did to someone

  15. Jordan says:

    WEll,
    I am also a poet and I that to right a good poem you need to actually experience what you are writing about as many poets do. But I don’t think that you should write about your past rape experience because it isn’t a funny matter. But you are kind of a weirdo , because rape is stepping over boundraries that should never been touch unless allowed too.

  16. Stephanie says:

    It sounds like this poem is true…And if your just fucking around and u think that rape is a funny thing then fuck you! You have no idea! So if thats the case you really need help!

  17. brittany says:

    thats really powerful…is this true because if it is then you are a really bad person…i was raped twice and you really dont know how it feels to be raped…but then again maybe you do…well you need help!!

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