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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Less Than" by Daniel Berrigan is a reflective and self-examining poem that navigates through the intricacies of personal identity, moral integrity, and the quest for meaning in a tumultuous world. Through a nuanced exploration of his inner life and public persona, Berrigan confronts the challenges of living up to one's ideals amidst the contradictions and compromises of human existence. The poem opens with a contemplation of excellence, which the speaker has harbored as a "secret" throughout both "public years" and "lonely years." This excellence, however, is not presented as a source of trouble. Instead, the poem delves into the complexities of maintaining courage and integrity over time—years that have alternately celebrated and consumed the speaker, metaphorically "carried me shoulder high" and "ate me like a sandwich." The crux of the poem lies in the admission of a "dearth of courage," a confession that despite outward appearances of strength and accomplishment, there exists an internal struggle with mediocrity ("the bread only so-so") and insufficiency ("the beer near beer"). This internal conflict is encapsulated in the image of a "fox’s lively tooth" kept under the shirt, symbolizing self-knowledge that is both a source of vitality and a destructive force. The metaphor of the fox eating the speaker "before I rot" suggests a desire to confront and be consumed by one's truths before succumbing to the decay of unexamined life. Berrigan employs the image of Pascal, naked and appalled under the vastness of the universe, to evoke the existential dilemma of finding one's place and purpose in an infinitely complex cosmos. At the same time, he rejects the notion of becoming a "stumblebum," causing havoc without direction or understanding. This tension between existential despair and aimless destruction frames the speaker's quest for a balanced existence—"Never the less!" The poem concludes with a call to "Summon / Courage, excellence!" positing these virtues as potential saviors from "ruin." Yet, this call to action is tempered by a "modest urging" that outlines basic ethical principles: not to kill, not to pollute, not to hoard, and to "Stand somewhere." These principles serve as a foundation for a life of integrity and purpose. "Less Than" is both a personal confession and a universal call to ethical living. Berrigan reflects on the challenges of aligning one's internal world with external actions, the difficulty of living up to one's ideals, and the importance of finding courage and excellence amidst life's trials. The poem's closing lines, "And up to this hour / (Don’t tell a soul) / Here I am," reveal the speaker's continued commitment to these principles, a quiet defiance and persistence in the face of life's uncertainties. Through "Less Than," Berrigan invites readers to reflect on their own journeys toward self-knowledge, ethical living, and the perpetual quest for meaning. POEM TEXT: https://danielberrigan.org/poems/
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