Dream Song 124: Behold I bring you tidings of great joy

Behold I bring you tidings of great joy—
especially now that the snow & gale are still—
for Henry is delivered.
Not only is he delivered from the gale
but he has a little one. He’s out of jail
also. It is a boy.

Henry’s pleasure in this unusual event
reminds me of the extra told at Hollywood & Vine
that TV cameras
were focussed on him personally then & there
and ‘Just a few words . . . Is it what you meant?
Was there a genuine sign?’

Couvade was always Henry’s favourite custom,
better than the bride biting off the penises, pal,
remember? All the brothers
marrying her in turn & dying mutilated
until the youngest put in instead a crowbar, pal,
and pulled out not only her teeth but also his brothers’ dongs & no
doubt others’.

Analysis, meaning and summary of John Berryman's poem Dream Song 124: Behold I bring you tidings of great joy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by John Berryman better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.