"Counting Small-Boned Bodies" by Robert Bly and "The Jewel" by James Wright

In "Counting Small-Boned Bodies," the speaker talks about the sorrow of seeing so many people dead, "Lets count the bodies over again." He is saying to remember and contemplate our love ones that we have lost. Also, Robert Bly begins his poem with strong imagery, "...count the bodies..," the speaker lets us (his readers) know right away what he's going to be talking about --the subject matter of the poem.

I like repetition on each stanza, "If we could only make the bodies smaller," it affirms the meaning of the poem, which is to stop killing people. There are too many dead bodies that we don't have a place for all of them. "A whole year's kill in front of us on a desk!" This is what the war has done, killing one person after another. We will remember this tragedy for ever where the bodies will remain in our hearts, "...for a keepsake forever." The speaker seems to be devastated and shocked by what the war has brought, for example in the line, "...skulls in the moonlight!" He sees all the dead bodies, and he's still in shocked.

I think it's so awesome that Bly begins and ends his poem with strong imagery, "A body into a finger-ring, for a keepsake forever"--I love it! Once we have a ring whether it's an engagement ring, wedding ring or birthday ring, it stays with us on our finger and we take it wherever we go. Our love ones may had been killed by the war, but the memories that we have of them remain in our hearts for ever.

"Counting Small-Boned Bodies," reminds me of the times I've written a certain poem thinking of my dad when he passed away. I've only written a few poems about him, and now I'm thinking that maybe I should write more.

Moreover, I noticed how Bly utilizes short and long lines in this poem. The second line in each stanza is always shorter than the rest, for example, in the second stanza the line, "The size of skulls, " it's shorter than the other two lines. This line may be shorter than the other ones because Bly wants to place more emphasis on it in order to have more of an impact, or get the reader's attention.

James Wright's poem, "The Jewel" is filled with imagery...so vivid, I love it! For example, the lines, "...this cave/In the air behind my body' sound as if it were a dream. In fact, there's a dream-like feel in every line. I'm not quite sure what Wright means in this poem, but I really like the imagery and the dream-like experience that I get from the poem. Especially in the last line, "My bones turn to dark emeralds." sounds mysterious and I also sense a transformation of some sort.

The speaker in "The Jewel" is talking about a certain monastery, a place of seclusion, "A cloister, a silence" that he uses for meditation--very spiritual. He treasures this place, "...nobody is going to touch," he protects it. And during his contemplation he experiences a certain transformation, "My bones turn to dark emeralds," but I'm not sure if this is good or bad. Since this line mentions, "dark emeralds," it could be a negative transformation, but why would meditation be a bad thing? Isn't meditation supposed to be a positive experience and good for our souls?

Maybe the speaker is saying that in order to experience "enlightment," or the healing of our souls that comes from the practice of meditation, we first have to go through the darkness (our sins and pains) that is within us. Then, we'll become a nice green emerald instead of a "dark" one. Concluding, the line, "Closing around a blossom of fire," reminds of this monk who burned himself in the middle of the street in protest against war...he came out in the news.