Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Carlos Williams's "Berket and the Stars" is a compact narrative poem that encapsulates a fleeting moment of joy, cleverness, and myth-making in the everyday life of an impoverished student. The poem, though brief, deftly intertwines themes of spontaneity, resourcefulness, and the enduring nature of memory, capturing the spirit of human creativity in the midst of adversity.

The poem begins by situating the reader in "a day on the boulevards," immediately evoking a scene of urban vitality and motion. The speaker recalls this moment as "chosen out of ten years of student poverty," a phrase that underscores both the hardship and the rarity of such a luminous experience. The choice of "one best day out of ten good ones" suggests that even in difficult times, there are moments of brightness that stand out, moments that are cherished and revisited in memory.

Berket, the central figure, is introduced as being in "high spirits," an attitude that contrasts sharply with the backdrop of "student poverty." His enthusiasm is symbolized by his interaction with the orange, a simple, everyday object elevated to the focal point of the narrative. The exclamation "Ha, oranges! Let's have one!" conveys a sense of impulsive delight and the irrepressible energy of youth. The orange, in this context, becomes a metaphor for vitality, desire, and the ability to seize joy amidst scarcity.

The poem’s turning point lies in Berket’s act of reaching for the orange. This gesture, described as a "deception" that is "so nicely timed," suggests an element of playful cunning. Berket’s action is not explicitly framed as theft; instead, it is depicted as a kind of performance, a moment of theatrical spontaneity that aligns perfectly with the rhythms of the scene. The phrase "to the full sweep of certain wave summits" imbues the act with a sense of natural inevitability, likening it to the cresting of a wave—a moment that is both precise and ephemeral.

What elevates this seemingly trivial act to the level of myth is the poem’s conclusion, where the "rumor of the thing" is said to have endured "through three generations -- which is relatively forever!" This hyperbolic statement highlights the human tendency to mythologize ordinary moments, transforming them into stories that acquire a life of their own. The use of the word "rumor" suggests that the story of Berket's cleverness has been retold, embellished, and passed down, becoming a shared cultural memory. In this way, the poem reflects on the power of narrative to preserve and amplify the significance of fleeting events.

Structurally, the poem’s brevity and straightforward language mirror the simplicity of the event it describes. The lack of embellishment in the diction allows the focus to remain on the action and its resonance. The enjambment in lines like "so nicely timed / to the full sweep of certain wave summits" creates a rhythmic flow that mirrors the fluidity of Berket’s motion, while the exclamation points convey the exuberance of the moment.

The poem’s title, "Berket and the Stars," adds a layer of universality and wonder to the narrative. While the stars are not explicitly mentioned in the body of the poem, their presence in the title suggests a cosmic dimension to the story, linking Berket’s moment of cleverness to something timeless and larger than life. The stars may symbolize the enduring nature of memory and myth, reminding us that even the smallest acts can achieve a kind of immortality when they resonate with others.

"Berket and the Stars" is ultimately a celebration of the human capacity to find joy, create meaning, and leave a legacy even in the most modest of circumstances. Through the figure of Berket, Williams captures the resilience and inventiveness of the human spirit, affirming the value of small, vivid moments that linger in the collective imagination. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own cherished memories and the ways in which such moments, though transient, can achieve a kind of permanence through storytelling and shared experience.

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