77 Dream Songs

'The poem then, whatever its wide cast of characters, is essentially about an imaginary character (not the poet, not me) named Henry, a white American in early middle age sometimes in blackface, who has suffered an irreversible loss and talks about himself sometimes in the first person, sometimes in the third, sometimes even in the second;

This edition of 77 Dream Songs faithfully replicates the iconic jacket, format and setting of the first edition, published in 1964.

'The poem then, whatever its wide cast of characters, is essentially about an imaginary character (not the poet, not me) named Henry, a white American in early middle age sometimes in blackface, who has suffered an irreversible loss and talks about himself sometimes in the first person, sometimes in the third, sometimes even in the second; he has a friend, never named, who addresses him as Mr Bones and variants thereof. Resquiescant in pace.' John Berryman

Where did it all go wrong? There ought to be a law
Against Henry.
-Mr Bones: there is.
(Dream Song 4)

'All is risk and variety here. This great Pierrot's universe is more tearful and funny than we can easily bear. . . No voice now or persona sticks in my ear as his. It is poignant, abrasive, anguished, humorous . . .' Robert Lowell