Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994), was a Los Angeles poet … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994), was a Los Angeles poet and novelist often mistakenly associated with Beat Generation writers because of alleged similarities of style and attitude. Bukowski's writing was heavily influenced by the geography and atmosphere of his home city of Los Angeles. He wrote more than fifty books and countless smaller pieces. He is often mentioned as an influence by contemporary authors and his style is frequently imitated.

Charles Bukowski was born as Heinrich Karl Bukowski in Andernach, Germany, to Heinrich (Henry) Bukowski and Katharina (née Fett). His paternal grandfather Leonard had emigrated to America from Germany in the 1880s. In Cleveland, Leonard met Emilie Krause, who had emigrated from Danzig (today Gdańsk, Poland), then part of Germany. They married and settled in Pasadena. He worked as a carpenter, setting up his own very successful construction company. The couple had four children, including Heinrich (Henry), Charles Bukowski's father.

Charles Bukowski's parents met in Andernach in western Germany following World War I. The poet's father was a sergeant in the United States Army serving in Germany following Germany's defeat in 1918.[9] He had an affair with Katharina, a German friend's sister, and she became pregnant. Charles Bukowski repeatedly claimed to be born out of wedlock, but Andernach marital records indicate that his parents married one month prior to his birth. Afterwards, Henry Bukowski became a building contractor, set to make great financial gains in the aftermath of the war, and after two years moved the family to Pfaffendorf. However, given the crippling reparations being required of Germany, which led to a stagnant economy and high levels of inflation, Henry Bukowski was unable to make a living, so he decided to move the family to the United States. On April 23, 1923, they sailed from Bremerhaven to Baltimore, Maryland, where they settled. Bukowski's parents began calling their son the Anglophone version of his first name ('Heinrich'), 'Henry', in order to help him assimilate, which the poet would later change to 'Charles'. Accordingly, they altered the pronunciation of the family name from /buːˈkɒfski/ boo-KOF-skee to /buːˈkaʊski/ boo-KOW-ski. Bukowski's parents were Roman Catholic.

The family settled in South Central Los Angeles in 1930, the city where Charles Bukowski's father and grandfather had previously worked and lived. In the '30s the poet's father was often unemployed. In the autobiographical Ham on Rye Charles Bukowski says that, with his mother's acquiescence, his father was frequently abusive, both physically and mentally, beating his son for the smallest imagined offence. During his youth Bukowski was shy and socially withdrawn, a condition exacerbated during his teens by an extreme case of acne. Neighborhood children ridiculed his German accent and the clothing his parents made him wear. In Bukowski -- Born Into This, a 2003 film, Bukowski states that his father beat him with a razor strop three times a week from the ages of 6 to 11. He says that it helped his writing, as he came to understand undeserved pain. Although he seemed to suffer from dyslexia, he was highly praised at school for his art work. This depression later bolstered his rage as he grew, and gave him much of his voice and material for his writings.

In his early teens, Bukowski had an epiphany when he was introduced to alcohol by his loyal friend William "Baldy" Mullinax, depicted as "Eli LaCrosse" in Ham on Rye, son of an alcoholic surgeon. "This [alcohol] is going to help me for a very long time", he later wrote, describing the genesis of his chronic alcoholism; or, as he saw it, the genesis of a method he could utilize to come to more amicable terms with his own life. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, Bukowski attended Los Angeles City College for two years, taking courses in art, journalism, and literature, before quitting at the start of World War II. He then moved to New York to begin a career as a writer.

On July 22, 1944, with World War II ongoing, Bukowski was arrested by FBI agents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was living at the time, on suspicion of draft evasion. He was held for 17 days in Philadelphia's Moyamensing Prison. Sixteen days later he failed a psychological exam that was part of his mandatory military entrance "physical" and was given a Selective Service Classification of 4-F (unfit for military service).

When Bukowski was 24, his short story, "Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip", was published in Story magazine. Two years later, another short story, "20 Tanks from Kasseldown", was published by the Black Sun Press in Issue III of Portfolio: An Intercontinental Quarterly, a limited-run, loose-leaf broadside collection printed in 1946 and edited by Caresse Crosby. Failing to break into the literary world, Bukowski grew disillusioned with the publication process and quit writing for almost a decade, a time that he referred to as a "ten-year drunk". These "lost years" formed the basis for his later semi-autobiographical chronicles, although they are fictionalized versions of Bukowski's life through his highly stylized alter-ego, Henry Chinaski.

During part of this period he continued living in Los Angeles, working at a pickle factory for a short time but also spending some time roaming about the United States, working sporadically and staying in cheap rooming houses. In the early 1950s, Bukowski took a job as a fill-in letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service in Los Angeles but resigned just before he reached three years' service.

In 1955 he was treated for a near-fatal bleeding ulcer. After leaving the hospital he began to write poetry. In 1957 he agreed to marry small-town Texas poet Barbara Frye, sight unseen, but they divorced in 1959. According to Howard Sounes's Charles Bukowski: Locked in the Arms of a Crazy Life, she later died under mysterious circumstances in India. Following his divorce, Bukowski resumed drinking and continued writing poetry.

Style
Charles Bukowski Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Style is the answer to everything.
Fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous day.
To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a
Dangerous thing without style.
To do a dangerous thing with style, is what I call art.
Bullfighting can be an art.
Boxing can be an art.
Loving can be an art.

Opening a can of sardines can be an art.
Not many have style.
Not many can keep style.
I have seen dogs with more style than men.
Although not many dogs have style.
Cats have it with abundance.

When Hemingway put his brains to the wall with a
Shotgun, that was style.
For sometimes people give you style.
Joan of Arc had style.
John the Baptist.
Jesus.
Socrates.
Caesar.
Garcнa Lorca.
I have met men in jail with style.
I have met more men in jail with style than men out of
Jail.
Style is a difference, a way of doing, a way of being
Done.
Six herons standing quietly in a pool of water, or you,

Walking
Out of the bathroom without seeing me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charles Bukowski’s “Style” suggest that style is the key to everything, a fresh approach to any dull or dangerous day. Bukowski cleverly plays with the idea of style, showing how it can transform even the most mundane activities like opening a can of sardines into an art form. Bukowski contrasts doing dull or dangerous things without style to demonstrate how the latter is an embodiment of what he terms art. He alludes to various historic figures such as Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, and Jesus to show how style is not something that is limited to a specific group.

The song’s verses demonstrate Bukowski’s perception of style as a distinguishing factor in human behavior, with relatively few people possessing it, and even fewer being able to maintain it. As the song progresses, the author starts to explore what style is by exemplifying it in his unique way. He describes seeing dogs and cats who possess it more than men, people who willingly embrace death and this is seen as having style. Bukowski also depicts a sense of loneliness in his lyrics as if he feels he hasn't yet met people who have style. He concludes his lyrics by constructing an image that reiterates how style can be profound; six herons standing quietly in a pool of water or walking out of the bathroom without seeing him.

Line by Line Meaning

Style is the answer to everything.
Having a fresh perspective and unique way of doing things can solve any problem or challenge.

Fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous day.
Having style can make even the most boring or risky tasks seem interesting and worthwhile.

To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a
It is better to do something boring but with panache than to do something exciting but recklessly.

Dangerous thing without style.
Performing a dangerous task without any elegance or finesse is not ideal.

To do a dangerous thing with style, is what I call art.
Performing dangerous tasks with grace and poise is an art form in itself.

Bullfighting can be an art.
Even activities that involve animal cruelty can be seen as an artform if performed with style.

Boxing can be an art.
Combat sports can also be seen as a performance art if executed elegantly and skillfully.

Loving can be an art.
The way in which someone loves or pursues romance can be seen as an artistic expression.

Opening a can of sardines can be an art.
Even mundane tasks like opening canned food can be done with style and a unique flair.

Not many have style.
Most people lack a unique way of expressing themselves through their actions.

Not many can keep style.
Even fewer people are able to maintain their style and uniqueness over time.

I have seen dogs with more style than men.
Some animals even have a more distinct or interesting way of carrying themselves than humans.

Although not many dogs have style.
Still, most dogs are not particularly stylish or unique in their behavior.

Cats have it with abundance.
Cats, on the other hand, are known for their unique and graceful ways of moving and existing.

When Hemingway put his brains to the wall with a
Even iconic figures have found ways of expressing themselves through their own unique style, even if it was a violent one.

Shotgun, that was style.
Hemingway's violent end was still an expression of his personal style and way of doing things.

For sometimes people give you style.
Occasionally, someone else's influence or behavior can inspire you to adopt a unique style of your own.

Joan of Arc had style.
Historical figures like Joan of Arc were known for having a distinct and powerful way of expressing themselves and their ideas.

John the Baptist.
Other religious and cultural figures throughout history were also known for having a unique style and way of doing things.

Jesus.
Religious figures like Jesus were also known for their distinct and inspiring ways of expressing their beliefs and values.

Socrates.
Philosophers like Socrates were known for their critical thinking skills, but also for their distinctive ways of talking and interacting with others.

Caesar.
Political figures like Julius Caesar were known for their charisma and unique ways of rallying their followers.

Garcнa Lorca.
Poets and artists like Garcнa Lorca are known for their distinct ways of expressing themselves through words and other mediums.

I have met men in jail with style.
Even in difficult and restrictive circumstances like jail, some people are still able to maintain their unique ways of carrying themselves and expressing themselves.

I have met more men in jail with style than men out of
Interestingly, there have been more people in jail who have exhibited a unique style compared to those who are free.

Jail.

Style is a difference, a way of doing, a way of being
Style is a distinct quality that sets people apart and is expressed through their actions and way of existing in the world.

Done.

Six herons standing quietly in a pool of water, or you,
Even moments of stillness and quietness can be viewed as expressions of style and uniqueness.

Walking

Out of the bathroom without seeing me.
Even something as simple as walking out of a room can be done with style and grace.

Contributed by Taylor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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