Dream Song: Interview with Peter Stitt

John Berryman

Dream Song: Interview with Peter Stitt
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“But what I was going on
to say is that I do strongly
feel that among the greatest
pieces of luck for high
achievement is ordeal.”
—John Berryman,
Interview with Peter Stitt
Paris Review
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Certain great artists—
Can make out without it, I suppose
Titian, Goya & Milton couldn't

Mostly you need ordeal—
My idea is this: the artist is extremely
Lucky who is presented with the worst
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The worst possible ordeal which—
Will not actually kill him. At that point,
he's in business. He’s in the groove.

Beethoven's deafness, Goya's deafness—
Milton's blindness—that kind of thing.
It made their work happen back then
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And I think that’s what happens—
In my poetic work when I’m not sitting
Calmly on my ass as I think, "Hmm, hmm”

Like with Whitman & his long poem—
Whether Henry is going to do the same
Thing as if he’s got any choice in doing it
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But instead being knocked on his ass—
Thrown flat, and run over by a Mack truck
And all those other kinds of things

Short of senile dementia that is—
At that point, I’d be out, but short of that
I don't know, I hope to be nearly crucified