Of Time and the Line by Charles Bernstein Summary

A lighthearted but perceptive examination of the idea of “lines” in a variety of settings—personal, societal, political, lyrical, and humorous—can be found in Charles Bernstein’s poem Of Time and the Line.

Bernstein employs the word “line” in a variety of ways throughout the poem, illustrating the ways in which lines affect relationships, culture, identity, and day-to-day living. By employing “line” in so many different contexts, he invites readers to consider how it affects how we perceive the world.

George Burns, a comedian who usually favored to “take the straight lines” when telling jokes, is mentioned in the poem’s opening. Bernstein suggests that Burns’ usage of a straight line is a reflection of his straightforward and potent ability to make people laugh.

This allusion also establishes the poem’s comic tone and presents “line” as a means of conveying meaning and establishing a connection with readers. The idea that lines—spoken, written, or performed—can be paused or prolonged is further strengthened by the reference to Burns’ cigar, which creates a gap that for comedic timing and audience response.

The approach of Henny Youngman, another comedian renowned for his “paratactic” style—which consists of sudden, stand-alone punchlines with little buildup—is then contrasted with George Burns’ in the poem. This poem’s introductory section introduces a major theme: lines can serve as a vehicle for expression, with different people using them in different ways to communicate thoughts and feelings.

The use of “line” by Bernstein then becomes more intimate when he mentions his father, a fashion industry worker who sold clothes for ladies. In this context, “line” denotes a certain kind of activity. Bernstein’s father worked in an office, a distinct type of “line” of business, rather than on a factory floor producing clothes.

The narrator’s mother, who is concerned about her “hemline,” stands in contrast to this line of work and symbolizes the significance of appearance, style, and personal presentation. By including his parents in the poem, Bernstein moves away from the realm of comedians as entertainers and toward a more accessible, daily line—the line of fashion, the line of labor, and the boundaries people set for themselves in their looks and life.

Once it enters political ground, the poem makes reference to Mao Zedong’s “Maoist lines.” The word “line” here refers to a system of ideas or beliefs, particularly the rigid communist ideology that Mao propagated in China. According to Bernstein, a less strict “East-West line of malarkey” or surface-level political discourse between civilizations has replaced Maoist ideals in recent years.

This line symbolizes the ideological separation, frequently founded on misconceptions and preconceptions, between the Eastern and Western worlds. By making this allusion, Bernstein suggests that while boundaries can divide cultures and ideologies, they can also oversimplify and misrepresent complicated problems. The East-West divide demonstrates how political boundaries are frequently artificial and result in miscommunication rather than genuine kinship.

In his discussion of “the prestige of the iambic line,” Bernstein also makes reference to classical poetry styles that employ iambic meter, which is a rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables. According to Bernstein, the status of this kind of line has decreased from its former high regard. He attributes this deterioration to concerns about one’s identity—”who ‘I’ am, much less who you are.”

The iambic line’s decline is a reflection of a broader social change in which established identity structures—such as those seen in poetry—are becoming less distinct and stable. This shift implies that the boundaries that formerly served to define individuals—whether in language, poetry, or society—are now hazy. The poet experiments with the idea that just as identity gets more ambiguous and fluid, so do poetry lines and the manner in which we organize our words and lives.

When “making a line,” Bernstein cautions, one should be explicit about what is included or excluded and whose “side of the line” one is on. According to this concept, lines have the ability to establish inclusion or exclusion by forming two sides: “lining in” and “lining out.” This warning serves as a reminder to readers that lines—whether real or metaphorical—are not neutral; they define what or who is within or outside, accepted or disregarded.

The biblical account of Adam naming things, which “delineates” or establishes boundaries, is referenced in this section. According to Bernstein, language itself draws boundaries since names and labels distinguish and give objects unique identities, much as the boundaries that divide social groups.

The poem then discusses how each poetry has an underlying rhythm and structure, or “prosodic lining,” that can “unzip for summer wear.” This line suggests that poetry can be adapted to suit various audiences or seasons by incorporating comedy and imagery.

The structure of a poem can be altered to meet various purposes, demonstrating form flexibility, much like the linings of clothing. This adaptability supports the idea that lines in art, like lines in society, can change over time by standing in opposition to the inflexible lines of tradition.

Additionally, Bernstein studies the ways in which history lines the “social flesh by the knifepoint of history.” This metaphor suggests that history creates rifts in society’s collective identity, frequently in a painful way.

Power, discrimination, and conflict lines leave their marks on society and have an impact on future generations. Bernstein’s term “knifepoint of history” implies that these boundaries are difficult to remove because they are deeply ingrained and influence how individuals view both themselves and other people.

The poem also notes the contemporary definition of poetry as being determined by whether or not it contains “lines or no.” While modern poetry occasionally appears in prose, traditional poetry was frequently organized in lines. Because of its language, tone, and content, a piece of prose writing can yet be regarded as a poetry. This contemporary method blurs the distinction between poetry and prose, echoing a larger subject of dismantling strict boundaries in both life and art.

Bernstein jokes that “there is no lesson in the line more useful than that of the picket line,” emphasizing the value of solidarity on both a social and political level. During strikes, employees draw a line known as the “picket line” to demonstrate solidarity and defiance. According to Bernstein, while some lines may just divide, others might be effective instruments for change.

Additionally, the poem refers to the “bloodline,” which is the source of “the most adversity.” In addition to carrying historical weights like social hierarchy, racism, and inherited privilege or misfortune, bloodlines also symbolize familial relationships and genetic connections. More than others, this statement frequently causes conflict by emphasizing differences among races, ethnicities, and families.

Bernstein highlights political and economic disparities between the USA’s “soup lines” and Russia’s “long lines.” In the USA, soup lines during hard times symbolize poverty, whereas in Russia, people wait in large lines for products. Although they take various shapes, both types of lines serve as a reminder to readers of the social and economic divides that impact day-to-day existence.

A humorous analysis of “lines” in math and acting concludes the poem. Mathematical lines intersect to generate angles, and an actor’s “line” must be cued for the proper moment. The last joke highlights the flexibility and fun of language by stating that “one lime to make a Margarita” is all that is needed. The poem’s message is reaffirmed by this lighthearted conclusion: lines are present throughout life and shape our identities, experiences, and interactions—often in profound and amusing ways.

All things considered, Of Time and the Line is a humorous, introspective poem that examines how lines influence our surroundings. Bernstein encourages readers to consider how lines define, separate, and link us by illuminating the various levels of meaning and power that lines convey through examples from history, politics, entertainment, family, and poetry itself.

Of Time and the Line by Charles Bernstein Line by Line Explanation

“George Burns likes to insist that he always takes the straight lines;”
The well-known comedian George Burns frequently made fun of himself for using “straight lines,” which refers to delivering his jokes in an uncomplicated, plain manner. In this context, “straight lines” might allude to Burns’ humorous style, which is clear-cut and straightforward, as well as literal directness.

“the cigar in his mouth is a way of leaving space between the lines for a laugh.”
Burns had a reputation for performing with a cigar in his hand. His message is interrupted by the cigar, which serves as a prop. These pauses give the audience a chance to chuckle, demonstrating that lines (or jokes) are more effective when timed and allow for audience responses.

“He weaves lines together by means of a picaresque narrative;”
Through a series of loosely related episodes, Burns weaves his gags together in a “picaresque narrative,” which is a term used to describe a storytelling style that is frequently hilarious. In this way, Burns’ remarks are a part of a greater, continuous narrative rather than merely being stand-alone jokes.

“not so Henny Youngman, whose lines are strictly paratactic.”
Another comedian, Henny Youngman, employed a distinct approach called parataxis. This indicates that he made brief, disconnected jokes without any breaks in between. In contrast to Burns’ storytelling style, his humor depended on individual lines rather than a continuous narrative.

“My father pushed a line of ladies’ dresses—not down the street in a pushcart but upstairs in a fact’ry office.”
In the fashion sector, Bernstein’s father sold clothing for women. In this context, “pushed a line” refers to marketing or selling a specific kind of apparel line. The fact that his father worked in an office rather than as a street vendor pulling a cart speaks to a more professional or business-oriented “line of work.”

“My mother has been more concerned with her hemline.”
In contrast, the poet’s mother was preoccupied with how she looked, particularly the length of her dress hem or skirt. The “hemline” here represents her interest in fashion or style, as well as her attention to self-presentation.

“Chairman Mao put forward Maoist lines, but that’s been abandoned (mostly) for the East-West line of malarkey so popular in these parts.”
Chairman Mao propagated “Maoist lines,” or rigid communist doctrines, which were particular political viewpoints. These concepts have mostly disappeared throughout time, to be replaced by nebulous, frequently pointless arguments (or “malarkey”) between Eastern and Western viewpoints. This “line” stands for differences in ideology.

“The prestige of the iambic line has recently suffered decline, since it’s no longer so clear who ‘I’ am, much less who you are.”
The “iambic line,” a rhythmic form, was frequently employed in traditional poetry. As people’s sense of identification (“I” and “you”) has grown less definite in the modern day, its popularity has decreased. Here, the “iambic line” represents traditional poetic forms, which are less applicable in a society where identity is fluid and multifaceted.

“When making a line, better be double sure what you’re lining in & what you’re lining out & which side of the line you’re on;”
Knowing what you’re including (“lining in”) and excluding (“lining out”), as well as where you are (“which side of the line”), is crucial when drawing or defining a line. This can be used to describe drawing lines or distinctions in politics, the arts, or one’s own ideas.

“the world is made up so (Adam didn’t so much name as delineate).”
Bernstein contends that Adam’s naming of objects in the Bible was actually a means of drawing lines, or “delineating.” Adam distinguished things by establishing limits and categories through naming. Therefore, these lines or divisions that provide structure and meaning are the foundation upon which the world is created.

“Every poem’s got a prosodic lining, some of which will unzip for summer wear.”
Similar to how clothes have linings, every poem has an internal rhythm or structure known as the “prosodic lining.” In order to stay cool during the heat, individuals unzip the lining of their clothing. Poetry’s ability to modify its structure to fit various styles or situations is another example of how language and art may be flexible.

“The lines of an imaginary are inscribed on the social flesh by the knifepoint of history.”
Like cultural ideas or social conventions, the imagined borders we establish are ingrained in society, frequently as a result of traumatic historical occurrences. With history “cutting” or carving these concepts into our shared identity, these “lines” influence how society sees itself.

“Nowadays, you can often spot a work of poetry by whether it’s in lines or no; if it’s in prose, there’s a good chance it’s a poem.”
Conventional line breaks are not always employed in contemporary poetry. Poems might occasionally appear to be composed in paragraphs rather than distinct lines, much like prose. Modern shifts in literary forms are reflected in this blurring of the boundaries between poetry and prose.

“While there is no lesson in the line more useful than that of the picket line,”
The picket line, when employees gather to demonstrate for improved working conditions, is a potent “line” because it demonstrates unity and group effort. This line, which stands for resistance and unification, has social and practical meaning.

“the line that has caused the most adversity is the bloodline.”
The term “bloodline” describes ancestry and familial lineage, which frequently leads to obstacles like hereditary problems or disputes over heritage. Whether due to cultural heritage, status, race, or familial expectations, bloodlines can cause splits.

“In Russia everyone is worried about long lines; back in the USA, it’s strictly soup-lines.”
In the USA, “soup lines” during difficult times represent poverty, whereas in Russia, people frequently worry about long queues to get items because of shortages. Economic suffering is depicted in both types of lines, although in various ways for each nation.

“‘Take a chisel to write,’ but for an actor a line’s got to be cued.”
Writing is likened to carving something irreversible, indicating the significance of accuracy. But in a script, an actor’s line is “cued,” or prompted, with a focus on delivery and timing rather than permanence.

“Or, as they say in math, it takes two lines to make an angle but only one lime to make a Margarita.”
An angle is formed in mathematics when two lines intersect. Conversely, the lighthearted comment that “one lime to make a Margarita” is all that is needed to lighten the mood and bring the poem to a humorous conclusion. This line demonstrates how, depending on the situation, “lines” may be both serious and humorous.