Poem Explication "RED SHIFT"

In the poem RED SHIFT, Ted Berrigan suggests that time can effectively change people, and the change may not always be positive. He also emphasizes how love and patterns are both very powerful and are defined by the hopelessness of his resent situation.

Ted Berrigan states that he is now 43 and is wondering to himself when will I die? He has grown, not only in age but also in emotion. Ted Berrigan and his wife have broken up from a harsh relationship and he believes that he has changed her life, even if she doesn’t believe so. “I came into your life to change it & I did so & now nothing will ever change that, and that’s that.” Even though they are divorced, Ted Berrigan believes that he has changed his wife’s life and will accept nothing more.

In the line “The world’s furious song flows through my costume.” Ted Berrigan believes that he has experienced life at its true meaning. He has lived as a young man and has enjoyed his times. He got married and was loved by his wife and then as he suggests, emotions changed as long with age, and the marriage didn’t work. He and his wife divorced, but as he explains, the marriage has changed both his life and his wife’s. Now, Ted Berrigan is ready for anything. He has already witnessed life by true meaning and believes nothing can get worse. The only thing left for him in life is death, but when will he die? “I am 43. When will I die? I will never die, I will live to be 110, & I will never go away, & you will never escape from me who am always & only a ghost, despite this frame, Spirit Who lives only to nag.” Ted Berrigan believes that love has patterns and is recited in his hopelessness of his life. His wife has gone through with these patterns, along with him. No matter how much she wants to forget him, she will not be able too. The love will always be there and she will feel guilty for the divorce, but he didn’t ask for it, she did. From now on, he will live too her as only a nag that she will never be able to get rid of. He will never die to her and she will never escape from him.

Lastly, along with Ted Berrigan changing his wife and believing that she will never escape from him, Ted Berrigan believes that change is not always positive. Considering that he lived a good life and is now sitting somewhere wondering what possibly could have happened? “The streets look for Allen, Frank, or me, Allen is a movie, Frank disappearing in the air.” Ted Berrigan emphasizes that not only his life has changed dramatically. Allen who is now very famous now, is probably living a good life. Frank, has died and Te Berrigan believes that his spirit is somewhere in the air, because he will never be forgotten. Ted Berrigan is now probably asking, what will happen to me? With this question, he knows whatever happens, he will have went through life the right way and have experienced much of what life is worth.

In conclusion, the idea of this poem is very important. Life should be lived asking questions and wondering, what will happen next? No matter what anyone wants to believe, life changes for both the better and the worse. People experience things that they may not want too but it’s just the flow of life. Love has patterns, and some people will experience those patterns as Ted Berrigan has. We will all die, but no one knows exactly when. Life must be lived curious to experience more and more.