In the Halloween Mood
In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I’d share a poem by Brautigan about ghosts.
Boo, Forever
In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I’d share a poem by Brautigan about ghosts.
Boo, Forever
by Richard Brautigan
Spinning like a ghost
on the bottom of a
top,
I'm haunted by all
the space that I
will live without
you.
When I first approached this poem, I took it literally and saw it as the death of a loved one. I saw a young, torn Richard Brautigan mourning and losing clarity within his solitude. Then I reviewed it a second time and viewed it as a wounded Brautigan in an ended relationship. The loss of someone that he cared about and lived with had a profound affect on his life from my second interpretation.
Knowing Brautigan however, I saw this as a nostalgia for old San Francisco. I saw it as the world spinning around and changing. From the old shops and the amusement places to new condominiums, I saw the poem as a yearning for the former version of San Francisco.
When I first approached this poem, I took it literally and saw it as the death of a loved one. I saw a young, torn Richard Brautigan mourning and losing clarity within his solitude. Then I reviewed it a second time and viewed it as a wounded Brautigan in an ended relationship. The loss of someone that he cared about and lived with had a profound affect on his life from my second interpretation.
Knowing Brautigan however, I saw this as a nostalgia for old San Francisco. I saw it as the world spinning around and changing. From the old shops and the amusement places to new condominiums, I saw the poem as a yearning for the former version of San Francisco.
1 comment:
I liked your multiple analysis of his poem. It's awesome when you can read something three times and suddenly have three different interpretations of it. I would like to focus on your third analysis though because it is taking the author into the context of his work. Do you think he misses the old San Francisco? I know you already answered that but think about him being haunted. Anyone who has been haunted by something they want it gone. He is haunted by the ghost of old San Fran, so with that in mind, do you think he still misses it? If he could, would he bring it back so it would stop haunting him? How about you? With your knowledge of old San Fran, do you prefer it today or yesterday? Personally, I prefer Southern California, but that's just me ;)
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