2. ABOUT BUKOWSKI:
Born: August 16 1920 Germany
German-born American poet, novelist, and short story writer
Died: March 9 1994
3. ALONE WITH
EVERYBODY
the flesh covers the bone
and they put a mind
in there and
sometimes a soul,
and the women break
vases against the walls
and the men drink too
much
and nobody finds the
one
but keep
looking
crawling in and out
of beds.
flesh covers
the bone and the
flesh searches
for more than
flesh.
there's no chance
at all:
we are all trapped
by a singular
fate.
nobody ever finds
the one.
the city dumps fill
the junkyards fill
the madhouses fill
the hospitals fill
the graveyards fill
nothing else
fills
4. ANALYSIS
1) "Alone With Everybody" is a short but powerful poem. Charles Bukowski captures the emotional torture
of loneliness which is commonly shared between most people. With his intense word choice and usage, Bukowski
makes the reader feel lonely just by reading the poem. He begins with "flesh covers the bone", which we know all
humans share in common. He creates this introduction as sort of a cushion for readers, knowing that they can
relate to what is presented.
"there's no chance
at all:
we are all trapped
by a singular
fate.
nobody ever finds the one.
the city dumps fill
the junkyards fill
the madhouses fill
the hospitals fill
the graveyards fill
nothing else
fills. “ Bukowski is trying to make a connection. He's trying to show that no matter who you are or where you are,
there's a part of you that is alone and that we can't be afraid of being alone.
5. FOR THE FOXES
don't feel sorry for me.
I am a competent,
satisfied human being.
be sorry for the others
who
fidget
complain
who
constantly
rearrange their
lives
like
furniture.
juggling mates
and
attitudes
their
confusion is
constant
and it will
touch
whoever they
deal with.
beware of them:
one of their
key words is
"love."
and beware those who
only take
instructions from their
God
for they have
failed completely to live their own
lives.
don't feel sorry for me
because I am alone
for even
at the most terrible
moments
humor
is my
companion.
I am a dog walking
backwards
I am a broken
banjo
I am a telephone wire
strung up in
Toledo, Ohio
I am a man
eating a meal
this night
in the month of
September.
put your sympathy
aside.
they say
water held up
Christ:
to come
through
you better be
nearly as
lucky.
6. ANALYSIS
2) In Bukowski's "For The Foxes", a lot of symbolism is used to warn readers
about others. Since we live in a world of diverse thinkers and lifestyles, we should
expect the unexpected from each other.
"beware of them: one of their key words is "love." and beware those who only take
instructions from their God" Bukowski shows a different side to his writing by
creating this idea to "watch your back" or be aware of who you surround yourself
with in your life. This is interesting because he's not just trying to stick some
mediocre moral or meaning to his poem. Bukowski is actually taking the time to
create his work to open up readers' minds. "put your sympathyaside. they say water
held up Christ: to come through you better be nearly as lucky." Bukowski takes a bit
of a risk by involving religion into his writing. I personally see his use of religion as
something that he knows will grab a reader's attention. He wants to take the risks of
offending someone or pissing someone off because that's the risk he's willing to
take to get his point across as an artist.
7. FOR JANE
225 days under grass
and you know more than I.
they have long taken your blood,
you are a dry stick in a basket.
is this how it works?
in this room
the hours of love
still make shadows.
when you left
you took almost
everything.
I kneel in the nights
before tigers
that will not let me be.
what you were
will not happen again.
the tigers have found me
and I do not care.
8. ANALYSIS
3) In "For Jane", it is apparent that Bukowski is writing about a death. Beginning with
"225 days under grass and you know more than I. they have long taken your blood, you
are a dry stick in a basket", we can safely assume he is describing a dead body. With death
being such a touchy subject, the somber feelings are commonly expressed through
writing. In this poem, Bukowski does not only describe his sadness, but also his surrender.
"what you were will not happen again. the tigers have found me and I do not care. " He
uses the symbolism of tigers, most likely as his emotions because he can not escape them.
He's allowing his sadness to take him because he knows that the death he is experiencing
is something he can't avoid. "I kneel in the nights before tigers that will not let me be."
9. THE LAUGHING HEART
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
10. ANALYSIS
4) "The Laughing Heart", is one of Bukowski's more positive poems. While Bukowski often writes
about death and sadness, this poem provides a message that encourages readers to take control of their
lives. "your life is your life don’t3) In "For Jane", it is apparent that Bukowski is writing about a death.
Beginning with "225 days under grass and you know more than I. they have long taken your blood, you
are a dry stick in a basket", we can safely assume he is describing a dead body. With death being such a
touchy subject, the somber feelings are commonly expressed through writing. In this poem, Bukowski
does not only describe his sadness, but also his surrender. "what you were will not happen again. the
tigers have found me and I do not care. " He uses the symbolism of tigers, most likely as his emotions
because he can not escape them. He's allowing his sadness to take him because he knows that the death
he is experiencing is something he can't avoid. "I kneel in the nights before tigers that will not let me
be." let it be clubbed into dank submission." By saying "don't let it be clubbed", he uses the phrase to say
that you shouldn't let someone else bring you down because you are the one in control and you are the
only one that can bring your life into a downward spiral. "you can’t beat death but you can beat death in
life, sometimes." When Bukowski brings the theme of death into his poem about life, you can tell he
might not be necessarily talking about actually loss of life, but more like failure. Death can be used a
symbol of defeat, and here he states that it is possible to fight against death in this form of failure.
11. A SMILE TO REMEMBER
we had goldfish and they circled around and around
in the bowl on the table near the heavy drapes
covering the picture window and
my mother, always smiling, wanting us all
to be happy, told me, 'be happy Henry!'
and she was right: it's better to be happy if you
can
but my father continued to beat her and me several times a week while
raging inside his 6-foot-two frame because he couldn't
understand what was attacking him from within.
my mother, poor fish,
wanting to be happy, beaten two or three times a
week, telling me to be happy: 'Henry, smile!
why don't you ever smile?'
and then she would smile, to show me how, and it was the
saddest smile I ever saw
one day the goldfish died, all five of them,
they floated on the water, on their sides, their
eyes still open,
and when my father got home he threw them to the cat
there on the kitchen floor and we watched as my mother
smiled
12. ANALYSIS
5) "A Smile To Remember", gives readers a special point of view
into Bukowski's childhood. In this poem he talks about the abuse of a
father, which is something Bukowski actually went through when he
was young. The poem repeatedly shows the mother telling the child to
be happy, meanwhile she is going through the domestic violence of
her marriage. But the child could see his mother was unhappy too and
could tell that all the smiles she wore were fake.
13. SO YOU WANT TO BE A
WRITER
if it doesn't come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don't do it. unless it comes unasked out
of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don't do it. if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen or hunched over your typewriter searching for words, don't do it. if
you're doing it for money or fame, don't do it. if you're doing it because you want women in your bed,
don't do it. if you have to sit there and rewrite it again and again, don't do it. if it's hard work just
thinking about doing it, don't do it. if you're trying to write like somebody else, forget about it. if you
have to wait for it to roar out of you, then wait patiently. if it never does roar out of you, do something
else. if you first have to read it to your wife or your girlfriend or your boyfriend or your parents or to
anybody at all, you're not ready. don't be like so many writers, don't be like so many thousands of people
who call themselves writers, don't be dull and boring and pretentious, don't be consumed with self- love.
the libraries of the world have yawned themselves to sleep over your kind. don't add to that. don't do it.
unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket, unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or
murder, don't do it. unless the sun inside you is burning your gut, don't do it. when it is truly time, and if
you have been chosen, it will do it by itself and it will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you.
there is no other way. and there never was.
14. ANALYSIS
6) "So You Want To Be a Writer" has a very blunt and straight
forward message. In this poem, Bukowski is being upfront and honest
when he says that if you're not passionate about what you do, don't
do it. Using the example of writing, he goes on to say that if you
aren't dying to write, then you aren't a true writer. This lessons really
goes for not only writing, but other hobbies and talents people
attempt everyday.,
15. SAFE
the house next door makes me
sad.
both man and wife rise early and
go to work.
they arrive home in early evening.
they have a young boy and a girl.
by 9 p.m. all the lights in the house
are out.
the next morning both man and
wife rise early again and go to
work.
they return in early evening.
By 9 p.m. all the lights are
out.
the house next door makes me
sad.
the people are nice people, I
like them.
but I feel them drowning.
and I can't save them.
they are surviving.
they are not
homeless.
but the price is
terrible.
sometimes during the day
I will look at the house
and the house will look at
me
and the house will
weep, yes, it does, I
feel it.
16. ANALYSIS
7) In the poem "Safe", Bukowski again writes about what it's like to see people
who pretend to be happy as he also
they are not
homeless.“
Bukowski writes about what he sees in his neighbors in this poem. He sees their
houses that look normal and plain and see the people but he also sees past their fake
happiness. It's almost as if he's saying that no matter how hard we try, we are still
sad inside. Bukowski feels the other peoples' pain and its interesting how he can see
past someone like that.
17. YES YES
when God created love he didn't help most
when God created dogs He didn't help dogs
when God created plants that was average
when God created hate we had a standard utility
when God created me He created me
when God created the monkey He was asleep
when He created the giraffe He was drunk
when He created narcotics He was high
and when He created suicide He was low
when He created you lying in bed
He knew what He was doing
He was drunk and He was high
and He created the mountians and the sea and fire at the same time
He made some mistakes
but when He created you lying in bed
He came all over His Blessed Universe.
18. ANALYSIS
8) In "Yes Yes", religion is brought back into Bukowski's writing. As
he's known for not necessarily being a really religious person, he brings in
the subject of God almost in a joking way or ironic way. It goes into
talking about the different things god did when creating the world we live
in. While this poem was short, it still had a lot that made you think. For
example, what was God really thinking or doing when he created the sky
or the sea or people? Bukowski makes you really think about different
possibility.
19. THE MOON AND THE
STARS AND THE WORLD
Long walks at night--
that's what good for the soul:
peeking into windows
watching tired housewives
trying to fight off
their beer-maddened husbands.
20. ANALYSIS
9) "And The Moon, And The Stars, And The World" is a very short
poem. Since it's so short, Bukowski really got to the point of the poem. It
ends with "watching tired housewives
trying to fight off their beer-maddened husbands", which once again
brings in the themes of domestic violence, abuse, and sexism. He's put a
stereotype on the men and the women by calling them "housewives" and
"beer-maddened husbands". This also brings back the thought of
Bukowski's own childhood when he grew up with abuse in his family.
21. BEER
I don't know how many bottles of beer
I have consumed while waiting for things
to get better
I dont know how much wine and whisky
and beer
mostly beer
I have consumed after
splits with women-
waiting for the phone to ring
waiting for the sound of footsteps,
and the phone to ring
waiting for the sounds of footsteps,
and the phone never rings
until much later
and the footsteps never arrive
until much later
when my stomach is coming up
out of my mouth
they arrive as fresh as spring flowers:
"what the hell have you done to yourself?
it will be 3 days before you can fuck me!"
the female is durable
she lives seven and one half years longer
than the male, and she drinks very little beer
because she knows its bad for the figure.
while we are going mad
they are out
dancing and laughing
with horney cowboys.
well, there's beer
sacks and sacks of empty beer bottles
and when you pick one up
the bottle fall through the wet bottom
of the paper sack
rolling
clanking
spilling gray wet ash
and stale beer,
or the sacks fall over at 4 a.m.
in the morning
making the only sound in your life.
beer
rivers and seas of beer
the radio singing love songs
as the phone remains silent
and the walls stand
straight up and down
and beer is all there is.
22. ANALYSIS
10) "Beer" is a little bit more of a derogatory poem. Throughout
this poem, Bukowski describes beer and other alcohol is a necessity.
You can tell that alcohol is something he heavily relied on. "I don't
know how many bottles of beer
I have consumed while waiting for things
to get better" Alcohol becomes a symbol in this poem. It because a
crutch or something to lean on it Bukowski's life.
