Charles Bukowski was an American novelist, poet and a short story writer. He is renowned for writing about the lower American class. He depicted the bleakness of the lower class by using apt images of alcoholism, sex and booze. He also wrote about men’s futile relationships with women and how due to lack of faith, men and women indulged in mindless sex, just to pass time. He is also known as “the laureate of American lowlife” (Iyer).
“Alone with everybody” also depicts the austerity and desolation of the people. The very title of the poem symbolizes the isolation a man faces even if he is in a crowd. Or it can also mean that the feeling of loneliness accompanies everybody and therefore everyone feels this loneliness.
This poem has been written in the prose poem style. This means that no rhyming scheme has been implied in the poem but the imagery and small sentences have been styled in such a way that it gives a poetic feeling. Moreover certain techniques are used due to which the lines acquire a poetic touch. For example in this poem alliteration has been used in these lines: “flesh covers/ the bone and the/ flesh searches/ for more than/ flesh. The sound of “f” is constant in the lines, thus reader reads it as a poem. Furthermore as the poem acquire a poetic aura; it gains euphony, which means it obtains a rhythmic sound. Tony Nortover writes in regard to the sentence structure of this poem: “The stanzas are irregular in structure. But there is nothing clumsy about this poem. The words are carefully chosen, as well, the poem is carefully constructed and controlled.
“Alone with everybody” is also a satire on the American way of life. In few short sentences, the poet conveys a dire dilemma of the American society. This poem basically delivers the idea that people are, in general, unhappy. The line which says that men find solace in alcohol and women break vases against the wall depicts their unhappiness and to some extent, boredom. As a result, they find solace in meaningless physical encounters.
But in the next lines, the poet points out that the people are unhappy because they are unable to find “the one”. “The One” can be referred to as a mystical and religious experience or the true love of their life. However, according to poet, people can never find “the one” in this life. He writes: “Nobody ever finds the one”.
This poem and T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” share the main idea; the vulgarity and faithlessness that have now filled the human minds, hearts and souls. Their minds have been fogged and clouded; therefore they cannot think what is right and what is wrong for them. Due to this they lead an unsatisfying, unhappy and a bored life.
The last lines of the poem depict the monotony of human lives. They have nothing constructive to do which will fill their times. In the end poet says; “nothing ever fills”. This line depicts not only the humdrum of mankind but also represents the fact that people are not satisfied by their sexual encounters. They want more but are unable to find out what they are looking for. Not knowing and the inability to do anything about it, leaves a void in their lives. But they keep on living the lives with their barren hearts and minds.
Works Cited
Iyer, Pico. "Celebrities Who Travel Well." Time. 16 June 1986: n. page. Web. 12 Dec. 2012.
Northover, Tony. "Poetry analysis: Alone with everybody, by Charles Bukowski." Helium.com. N.P., 01 2012. Web. 12 Dec 2012.
