That "reproachful" face in the poem's second stanza really stands out. It seems that feelings of guilt are connected to Henry's sadness. And like the sadness in the first stanza, these guilty feelings show no sign of fading. Bad times all around. Still, if time isn't going to make the guilty feelings fade, what's Henry to do? Think about it…
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- What words or phrases from stanza two convey a sense of guilt or blame? What is it about these examples that scream guilty?
- Berryman uses a "grave Sienese face" to represent the guilt Henry feels. Once you understood what Berryman was referring to, how did you respond to this image? Did it help you identify with Henry's feelings or was it just confusing? Why?
- Shmoop bets you've felt guilty once or twice. What image would you use to represent the guilt that you felt? Henry tries to think his way out of feeling guilty. In your experience, does that work?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Henry's sadness is a result of his guilty feelings. Henry can't be happy until he deals with his guilt. So get dealing, Henry.
The fact that Henry understands it is "too late" to change anything and that crying won't help demonstrates a step toward resolving his feelings of guilt and the associated sadness. Yay?