Analysis Of Charles Bukowski's 'Betting On The Muse'

I read a study last week that described middle children as the most forgotten. It didn’t use those words exactly, but with phrases like “least talkative”, “least bold” and “lack of attention” it’s easy to get the gist. As the second oldest in a family of four kids, I originally agreed with this sentiment. I’ve had more than my fair share of being forgotten by my parents at shops. Twice the amount of all my siblings combined. But, in Charles Bukowski’s poem “Betting on the Muse”, he describes how the fear of deteriorating and being forgotten motivates an individual to work towards becoming someone of significance. This idea he expressed made me pause and reflect. Perhaps being the middle “forgotten” child is really a benefit towards who I will …show more content…
They hadn’t meant to, of course, and with four hyperactive children always wandering it was a miracle it hadn’t happened earlier. I was in the bathroom for only a few minutes, and when I discovered that my parents had up and left me, I collapsed into a puddle of tears in the middle of the restaurant. I couldn’t understand how they had forgotten me. My life after that point has been a constant work in progress to make sure that I won’t be forgotten again, be that during or after my life. Bukowski perfectly captured this feeling with the phrase, “to no longer be / recognized, / just to be an old man / like other old / men”. This is a slightly different circumstance than the one I was in. Rather than a stupor of thought leading to his neglect, it is the lack of him having done anything that people recognize. Regardless, no matter the problem, the feeling still remains the …show more content…
When I was fifteen, I had the “opportunity” to get stuck in a waterslide. The slide was designed to go completely upside down, with the force of inertia causing the occupant to fwoop around before being shot into the pool. There was a minimum weight that the rider had to be, and I was slightly under. “Thankfully” the lifeguards running the slide were sympathetic and let me past. However, the slide was not feeling as charitable that day. I got halfway up the loop before sliding back the way that I had come. This relates to the game ‘snakes and ladders’. With the slide being the snake, and myself becoming the colored game piece that is forced to go backwards. In the same fashion, the rate by which that game of snakes and ladders was amplified was then applied to the feelings I had in that moment. The minor disappointment and slight fear felt at sliding back to the beginning was increased tenfold, until the anxiety and fear formed a lump in my throat. It was possibly the most frightening experience of my life. Bukowski colors a familiar picture with the words “Beau Jack ended up shining / shoes, / just where he / began”. I can imagine how Beau Jack felt in that moment. It is a harsh reality to make a stunning domino tower only to have it collapse because of an unstable foundation. It makes one think ‘if only I put in a little more work in the beginning’. This sentiment perfectly captivates the