Commentary on Thomas Merton's poetry

The "Original Child Bomb" by Thomas Merton was my favorite reading this time around. When I first started reading it, it didn't sound like a poem at all but more like a bunch of factual paragraphs. The introductory information even characterizes Merton's writing as "flat, undramatic language." I kind of disagree with this statement because although Merton uses the "facts" like the ones we would find in history books, he throws in sarcasm and irony that do bring drama to the poem. These little twists bring meaning to the poem for me because they show a sharp contrast between government/ military vs. the anti-war protesters/civilians.

Stanza # 26 is one that stood out to me. Merton gives the run through of the history of the bomb: how it was made, the judgements about it, the power that government knew it had. One thing about the bomb that was definitely certain was its power to kill and perhaps destroy the entire city. In a literal sense, the bomb = death. So then in stanza 26, Merton describes the soldiers on the night before the bombing--"They were as excited as little boys on Christmas Eve." Merton won me over with this line. I was both disgusted and bewildered as to why/ how people can be so cruel.


Merton might have considered his poem a historical background, but the simple facts alone are horrifying. However, I'm sure the opposite side/ different telling of the story could sway people a different way. I think the key to it all is the way things are written. Anti- war authors during the sixties such as Merton definitely knew how to get people on their side- apply to common pathos. Once people's emotions are involved, they take it personally--they are hurt by it. I think this describes some feelings towards the government during the sixties-- they were hurt because the government was portrayed as first and foremost a murderer, over all other things.