the withness of the body” –Whitehead

The heavy bear who goes with me,
A manifold honey to smear his face,
Clumsy and lumbering here and there,
The central ton of every place,
The hungry beating brutish one
In love with candy, anger, and sleep,
Crazy factotum, dishevelling all,
Climbs the building, kicks the football,
Boxes his brother in the hate-ridden city.

Breathing at my side, that heavy animal,
That heavy bear who sleeps with me,
Howls in his sleep for a world of sugar,
A sweetness intimate as the water’s clasp,
Howls in his sleep because the tight-rope
Trembles and shows the darkness beneath.
–The strutting show-off is terrified,
Dressed in his dress-suit, bulging his pants,
Trembles to think that his quivering meat
Must finally wince to nothing at all.

That inescapable animal walks with me,
Has followed me since the black womb held,
Moves where I move, distorting my gesture,
A caricature, a swollen shadow,
A stupid clown of the spirit’s motive,
Perplexes and affronts with his own darkness,
The secret life of belly and bone,
Opaque, too near, my private, yet unknown,
Stretches to embrace the very dear
With whom I would walk without him near,
Touches her grossly, although a word
Would bare my heart and make me clear,
Stumbles, flounders, and strives to be fed
Dragging me with him in his mouthing care,
Amid the hundred million of his kind,
the scrimmage of appetite everywhere.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Delmore Schwartz's poem The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me

1 Comment

  1. Darla Wheeler says:

    This poem reflects the true nature of alcoholism and its hold on man. You have to read between the lines to understand this poem. This is an old poem written in the early 1930’s and was written after prohibition and the effects of the 18th amendment. Alcoholism even back then was considered a social problem that got way out of hand and that is why the 18th amendment was enacted even though that created organized crime against the government and then the 21st amendment was created. In todays society alcoholism is so widespread that it has become a mental illness within oneself. I think everyone should read this poem and the burdens that each alcoholic bears.

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