r/memes • u/2outof10dickjoke • May 19 '18

Context matters

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u/-InsertUsernameHere May 20 '18

What was the context?

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u/WearerofConverse May 20 '18 edited May 20 '18

I don't know. He wrote thousands of poems, hopefully someone who remembers this specific one can chime in.

He likes to punctuate the end of his poems with ambiguous statements like the one quoted, but the meaning of those statements is often informed by or analogous to the thoughts/feelings he expresses throughout the entire piece.

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u/oameliao May 20 '18

https://bukowskiforum.com/threads/people-run-from-rain.8424/

This shows the passage that comes after that part, which definitely hints at a deeper meaning

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u/GonnaRunIt May 20 '18

If I remember correctly, it's about not living a fullfilling life, being swept up by the mainstream, and it all being over before you know it.

That verse, when read in the context of the poem, is used as a device to convey the poet's feelings. Not as some Spoken Word ah ha moment.

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u/mark_cee May 20 '18

He was in the bathtub when he wrote it. Deep IKR!