The Lice by W.S. Merwin is a collection of 80 meaningful poems. Most of the poems did not exceed one page, but the set of sometimes ambiguous words produced many unique emotions.

This book is often interpreted as a response to the Vietnam War and condemns modern man in visionary and apocalyptic terms. I personally thought most of the poems displayed a cloudy and bold tone instead of a bright and cheerful voice.

In many of these poems, Merwin tends to speak back to the fallen world not as tracts but as artistic events.

A particular poem that caught my eye was “The Asian Dying.” I felt the mood of the overall book was solemn and bold, and this poem communicated to me the most fresh, raw emotion.

As the title suggested, I interpreted this poem as the Vietnam War seen through Merwin’s point of view. Even though the particular poem was only a page long, they drew sorrowful pictures of war and conveyed the sense of pain felt during the era. The first phrase, “When the forests have been destroyed their darkness remains” immediately drew me in with the sense of sadness. Also, there is a use of a literary device, a simile, when the author writes “The nights disappear like bruises but nothing is healed.” This kind of unique expression allowed me to picture blotches of the night going away, except nothing changes. This kind of simile that was not cliche was a very new and fresh expression that illustrated a dark night slowly fading away into day. Lastly, the phrase “Rain falls on the open eyes of the dead” replays the cruel and forlorn scenes of war for the reader.

I strongly recommend that The Lice as a must read for readers seeking a new experience, a new perspective in looking at life and demise. The reason I recommend this book for fellow teens is because reading poems is such an intellectual experience. Typical books tell a story with just minimal descriptions of a character and its setting. Morals and lessons can be drawn from the story, but the reader typically doesn’t experience any kind of new emotion or new world. Poems, even though they can be ambiguous and different to understand at times, illustrate a strong mood and picture. Also, even though poems can be unclear and sometimes confusing, it leaves the interpretation up to the reader. In this way, poems can be interpreted as something personal and precious for each person. Just like lyrics in a song, it is not direct and immediately understandable, but it sound out a message that somehow resounds with one’s heart. There are many other emotions we can feel besides sorrow and happiness, and a poem illustrates unique pictures and emotions that strongly tell the reader about even the own author’s experience or perspective. No matter how long or short a poem is, it can create a significant statement and stimulate a new emotion. This is certainly a different experience than reading a typical fictional book.