The Dream Songs Background

The Dream Songs, by John Berryman, is a book of poems about a man named Henry. Berryman was an American poet who was born in 1914 and died in 1972. It was first published in 1969.

The book of poetry revolves around the life of the main character, Henry. Berryman incorporates his life within Henry's life. In other words, Berryman talks about his childhood and life in the voice of a made-up character called Henry. He mostly talks about his personal problems and incidents that affected his life. Berryman was inspired to write the book when his father commit suicide when Berryman was 10.

The book received the National Book Award for Poetry and is considered his best work. It received a 4 out of a 5-star rating on Goodreads. One of Goodreads members wrote on a review: "the depth of expression and range of emotion is really unlike anything I've ever encountered; he has me grinning wryly one moment and broken-hearted ten songs later." John Brinnin in the New York Times said: "Strictly in terms of technique, the book is a knockout. Subsuming all the work of nearly 30 years, including and surpassing the remarkable "Homage to Mistress Bradstreet," Berryman seems to have grown in a progress that calls to mind André Gide's "Gradation, gradation--and then a sudden leap." Such bravado and such excellence calls for celebration."

Overall, this is a book of poetry that directly addresses the emotions of the readers. It talks about the life of the author in an intriguing, touching, unique way.