Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Elegy, for Alun Lewis" by John Berryman is a profound meditation on death, friendship, and the human condition, presented through the lens of mourning for the Welsh poet and soldier, Alun Lewis. This elegy transcends the personal to touch on universal themes of mortality, envy, and the reconciliation with one's own mortality in the face of another's death. Berryman crafts a narrative that is both intimate and expansive, reflecting on the ways in which death can bring individuals closer, even those who were strangers in life.

The poem opens with a striking admission of the minimal attention the speaker and the deceased paid to each other while alive, immediately highlighting the transformative power of death to forge connections between individuals. This notion that death has "made us friends" serves as a poignant reflection on how mortality can alter our relationships and perceptions of one another. Berryman contrasts his own slow approach to death with the suddenness of Lewis's, revealing a complex mix of envy and grief. The envy for Lewis's "rapidity" in death is juxtaposed with the speaker's own lingering existence, suggesting a contemplation of the arbitrary nature of mortality and the state's judgment on the value of lives based on their pace towards death.

The mention of sitting down to Lewis's poems in grief underscores the way art can serve as a bridge between the living and the dead, allowing the deceased to continue influencing and connecting with the world. Berryman's grief for Lewis, whom he describes as a "stranger made strangely a friend," reflects on the intimate relationship that can develop between writers through their works, transcending the boundaries of time and personal acquaintance.

Berryman's elegy also probes the notion of "accident" in the context of death, especially a death that occurs in the chaos of war. The reference to the "universal furnace" and the "restless and careless powers" that drive humanity towards its end evokes a sense of existential dread and the randomness with which lives are taken. This imagery of being "clubbed wall to wall ahead of them" captures the violent, inexorable march of humanity towards death, led by impersonal and indifferent forces.

The poem becomes more introspective as Berryman reflects on the act of mourning and the symbolic significance of Lewis's blood on his hands. This metaphorical blood represents both a personal sense of loss and guilt and a broader commentary on the collective responsibility for the tragedies of war and violence. The "white hand of this age" is a powerful symbol of the era's complicity in the violence and suffering of its time, prompting readers to consider their own role in the perpetuation of these cycles.

Berryman contemplates the possibility of posthumous friendship, pondering whether death alone can bridge the gap between individuals. This reflection leads to a consideration of the ways in which we make "grotesque amends" to the dead, attempting to reconcile with them through acts of remembrance and mourning. The poem closes on a note of somber resignation to the inevitability of death and the hope that in recognizing our shared mortality, we might find a deeper connection to one another.

In "Elegy, for Alun Lewis," Berryman navigates the complex interplay of envy, grief, and the search for meaning in the face of death. The poem is a testament to the power of mortality to unite individuals across the divides of life, offering a meditative and deeply humanistic exploration of how we come to terms with our own deaths and those of others. Through his elegy for Lewis, Berryman invites readers to reflect on the ways in which death shapes our relationships, our art, and our understanding of ourselves and each other, urging a reconciliation with the inevitable that is both personal and universal.

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