Dream Song 3

     Next, let's take a look at Song 3. Find it at the following link:
http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/john-berryman/dream-song-3-a-stimulant-for-an-old-beast/

     I know I've heard Berryman read this somewhere, but I can't seem to find the link now.

     In this poem, we get to hear horny Henry speak in a more grave tone than he does in the comical Song 4. The "stimulant for an old best (Henry)" is the "screwed-up lovely 23" year-old he is trying to seduce. The musky smells coming from the first line tell us Henry is in the mood. The woman, however, is not. She's young, but not so very old, like Henry.

     Henry feels alienated, unloved, unkissed. He identifies with the "old criminals." The journal Berryman addresses is Time-Life, in which an article appeared about a man named Jan Masaryk, rival of Gottwald, who either committed suicide or was politically assassinated. Henry feels he will either die by suicide or be killed by the political machine he is unwillingly a part of. More on Henry's unpatriotic attitude to come in the following Songs.

     Apparently, Rilke really was a jerk! Take a look at the following link for some of his exploits:
http://www.dialoginternational.com/dialog_international/2009/10/rilke-was-a-jerk.html

     The final stanza follows the idea set up by the lines "Women get under / things." and "She holds her breath like a seal." Both of these lines explore women's effects on Henry: they get at what's bothering Henry. Unable to face his damaged self, Henry reduces women to sexual objects. As the songs progress, we see Henry learn to slake his lust by directly confronting his own psyche.