A love (loss) story, "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" is told through the protagonist's three dreams, each a sort of reincarnation of his past relationships.
The first, reminiscing about a past life as a guard at the internment camp of Auschwizt II, known as Burkenau or Birkenau, our protagonist recalls how desirable the town was before the war- a time of lavish festivals and the rich rustling of the throng of the crowd. The soldier proclaims his allegiance to the war by remarking to his partner that he would rather recline with her than anything else- aside from relinquishing his firearm.
The second, in a fit of metaphor, the protagonist likens his intimacy with that of an architecturally inept balcony. The line "The structure fell about our feet" signifies the literal razing of the relationship. "And we were free to go," implies that each felt stifled in the relationship and was joyous in their liberation.
The third, taking place in Spain, imagines the protagonist nearing death (most likely because he is on the run) and recollecting his past womanizing ways. He explains how both married and unmarried "fell" to him. It is safe to say the character in question is wealthy, considering he uses the term "courtesan" when talking about those he serenaded- not prostitute or whore. Back in the present, he has taken up a "soiled" young girl and is traveling to an unknown location, possibly because he is wanted for some crime, which is accordant with the last lines of the stanza: "we live this close to death."
A love (loss) story, "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" is told through the protagonist's three dreams, each a sort of reincarnation of his past relationships.
The first, reminiscing about a past life as a guard at the internment camp of Auschwizt II, known as Burkenau or Birkenau, our protagonist recalls how desirable the town was before the war- a time of lavish festivals and the rich rustling of the throng of the crowd. The soldier proclaims his allegiance to the war by remarking to his partner that he would rather recline with her than anything else- aside from relinquishing his firearm.
The second, in a fit of metaphor, the protagonist likens his intimacy with that of an architecturally inept balcony. The line "The structure fell about our feet" signifies the literal razing of the relationship. "And we were free to go," implies that each felt stifled in the relationship and was joyous in their liberation.
The third, taking place in Spain, imagines the protagonist nearing death (most likely because he is on the run) and recollecting his past womanizing ways. He explains how both married and unmarried "fell" to him. It is safe to say the character in question is wealthy, considering he uses the term "courtesan" when talking about those he serenaded- not prostitute or whore. Back in the present, he has taken up a "soiled" young girl and is traveling to an unknown location, possibly because he is wanted for some crime, which is accordant with the last lines of the stanza: "we live this close to death."
taken from stylusmagazine.com/feature.php