Poem Analysis - Somedays Here

Introduction: A Bitter Victory

Shel Silverstein's "Someday's Here" is a bluesy boast of triumph tinged with bitterness. The speaker, finally successful after a period of hardship, revels in proving his former doubters wrong, especially a past lover. The poem's tone is initially celebratory, full of confident pronouncements, but it quickly descends into a more vengeful and resentful mood, revealing the lingering pain caused by past rejections. This shift underscores the poem's complex exploration of success, love, and the enduring impact of past hurts. The simplicity of the language and direct address make the poem feel like a personal, almost conversational, outburst.

Theme 1: The Price of Success

One of the central themes is the corrosive nature of delayed gratification. The speaker repeatedly emphasizes his previous promises of future wealth and happiness, now fulfilled. He states, "Well I've told you someday I'd have a lotta money" and "I told you someday I'll come driving up your driveway," highlighting the weight of his past pronouncements. However, the joy of this achievement is tainted by the absence of the person he most wanted to share it with. The poem suggests that success, achieved at the cost of relationships and personal well-being, can feel empty and even vengeful rather than fulfilling.

Theme 2: The Sting of Rejection

The poem also grapples with the theme of rejection and its lasting impact. The repeated refrain, "You should have stucked with me," reveals the speaker's deep-seated resentment towards the person who abandoned him during his less prosperous times. This regret is central to the poem's emotional core. He uses vivid imagery such as the ex-lover crawling at his feet to highlight his triumph and to express his bitterness about her past actions. The poem highlights the pain that lingers long after the success is achieved.

Theme 3: Vengeance as a Hollow Victory

Finally, the poem explores the theme of vengeance and its ultimate hollowness. While the speaker seems to relish the opportunity to flaunt his success and demonstrate his ex-lover's mistake, the poem hints at the emptiness of this victory. The imagery of the ex-lover reduced to "my dog Rover" is shocking and emphasizes the speaker's desire for retribution. However, the repetition of "someday's here" in conjunction with this degrading image suggests that even achieving this long-awaited revenge hasn't brought the fulfillment he craved. He only emphasizes this success to make others feel as small as he once did.

Recurring Symbols of Transformation

The poem employs several recurring symbols to underscore its themes. The "Cadillac" represents not just wealth, but a visible symbol of transformation and arrival. It is not just any car but a "Cadillac that stretched across from here to here" demonstrating the magnitude of the achieved status. The image of the "Mack truck" provides a contrast to this, demonstrating what she had wanted versus what he offered. The “women” riding in the backseat is a way to tell her that she is no longer as special as he once saw her.

Conclusion: A Bluesy Lament

"Someday's Here" is a poignant and ultimately melancholic exploration of success, rejection, and the complexities of human relationships. The speaker's triumphant pronouncements are undercut by a persistent undercurrent of bitterness, revealing the lasting scars of past hurts. While the poem celebrates the achievement of long-held dreams, it also serves as a cautionary tale about the potential emptiness of success when it comes at the cost of love and connection. Ultimately, the poem leaves us contemplating whether the speaker's "someday" is truly a moment of triumph or simply a bluesy lament for what could have been.