The Diameter of the Bomb

The poem’s title introduces the idea of distance, which is a key theme of this poem. By using the motif of measuring distances throughout the poem, from the title to the very last line, Amichai reflects on the nature of war, concluding that the cost of war can never truly be measured or quantified. The poem frequently mentions the distance between objects, locations, and people, mentioning “centimeters” (Line 1), “meters” (Line 3), “kilometers” (Line 10), “distant country” (Line 13). The movement of the poem emphasizes both the distance between people and the emotional connection between them as they are all implicated in the horrors of war, regardless of how distant these events are from them geographically or even in memory. By mentioning “time” (Line 6), Amichai is also bringing in the measurements of memory and how these past events influence the present and the future of society in ways that are complex and difficult to understand. This is especially emphasized by the orphans whose sadness “reaches” God’s seat; their sadness is so great in measure and so deep that their pain resounds to the heavens. The “whole world” (Line 14) is a part of this bombing because people continue to support needless bloodshed, and the future of society is inevitably altered by the constants wars and killings that occur. In the final three lines, the poet leaves behind the realm of normal, human measurements of time and space and enters the spiritual realm where God hears the pain of the children who have lost their parents due to wars, but wars still happen constantly and bombs continue to fall on innocent people. He calls up an image of a void, or a vacuum, on the last line in which the true emotional gravity of this bombing is fully felt. Amichai is using the idea of scientific measurement and geographic distance to point out the interconnectedness of all people, regardless of ethnic, political, national, or religious beliefs.