The Poem by David Berman The Charm of 5:30 - Essay Example

Poem Analysis By The poem by David Berman “The Charm of 5:30” is the kind of a poem that despite its seeming simpli and, I would even say naïveté, instantly provokes emotional response in readers and had an impact on me as well. When I finished reading it I felt this mild and elusive sense of comfort and joy of present moment which I struggle to feel more and more as I get older. This feeling was almost permanent in childhood but with age people forget how it felt. This feeling is precious because it makes one understand that the time is an illusion and the only life one can have is here and now. Simple as it sounds, not all the people develop this childish perception of the world, saturated and magical. But Berman with his accurate ad elaborated poetic vision is one of those poets who can describe something that can hardly be explained by words. In his “The Charm of 5:30” the author manages to show how his own perception of the reality allows him to make simple moments and sensations of life charming. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say, and when reading Berman`s poem I have understood that all these mild pleasures of life are free and accessible yet one needs to try to experience them to the full extent. It is a white verse, the author did not want to stick to some rhythm or rhyme, and it looks like the words that create images are pouring out of his mind like water. It is clear that Berman wants to describe those moments which he appreciates in life, those fragile and light sensations that literally make this life worth living (like discovering red tints in cola or meeting a friend or even thinking about the lives of great people) and which are often left unnoticed by people who forget they are not dead yet. So I would suggest that the meaning of the poem was to depict valuable and charming manifestations of life in all their beauty. Berman chooses the central role in this verse, he is the observer and he is the speaker, and this adds to the credibility and sincerity of “The Charm of 5:30”. In most cases in order to write something or at least to try to write something people need the occasion. David Berman does the opposite- he does not look for occasion- he creates the occasion or uses the very process of living as the occasion in other words. For him his inner world and the environment are equally charming. His thoughts, memories as well as the slightest movements in the outer world are worth of speaking about them: “Its enough to be sitting here on my porch, thinking about Kermit Roosevelt, following the course of an ant” (Berman). What is noticeable is that Berman neglects all the sound devices using only some kind of rhythm but still this rhythm is difficult to follow. It reminds prose which is divided on stances for comfort. Berman is juggling with different types of images: visual, sensory, auditory. He shifts the attention of the reader from the ant which is crawling to the flashlight which he had found in his pocket and then to the sound of ring. All the images he mixes with time and I would even say époque allusions and his own observations about the world. It turns a poem into a cacophony of sensations, images, and some impulses and makes it incredibly realistic. The author does not use much of figurative language, in my opinion he wants to create the poetry of the day with the most simple and even mundane images and with most common words. He only uses a couple of similes to describe his general feeling: “It all reminds me of that moment when you take off your sunglasses after a long drive and realize its earlier and lighter out than you had accounted for”(Berman). But allusions are really numerous in his poem. David Berman wants to create the sense of the place and time. It becomes clear to the reader wherever he is that the action takes place in the United States because Berman makes references on three presidents of America- Roosevelt, Reagan, and Madison. For the nation which praises and is proud of its history all these names mean a lot instantly. It is ironical that Berman recalls the son of Roosevelt who committed a suicide just after the line with the graveyard instead of recalling the president himself. It seems to me that the author wants to show that time passes really fast, politicians change one another but some things remain the same like a smile of a pretty girl or the feeling from the park at 5:30. I think this flow of consciousness which is pertinent to modernist prose and which is evident in this verse, is what makes this poem of David Berman extraordinary. And probably numerous historical allusions which emphasize the intelligence of the author and his deep and meditative way of life perception in historical perspective. In some sense the verse has its own symbols which are comprehensible to the author only. For instance, the title of the poem “The Charm of 5:30” is a symbol itself. For David it is peculiar time, his favorite moment of the day which reminds him why he loves life so much. That is why the title is very important for the understanding of the verse, it hints on learning to savor life and time and find your own personal charming time in life. The tone of the poem I would describe as joyful but melancholic or bitter-sweet. When the person is able to experience life so deeply he/she praises each moment and mourns it at the same time. There is some kind of childish perception of the world when everything seems magical but the magic is created by you yourself and your unique vision. The poem filled me with pleasant feeling of existence when even reading such verses and thinking about them is precious so I guess the author achieved what he wanted to achieve with “The Charm of 5:30”. References Berman, D. (1999). The Charm of the 5:30. Retrieved from: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/David-Berman/6145 Read More