The Jewel By Brian Turner Essay

A melancholy poem, the style in “The Jewel” is anti-war. The destruction of the bridge serves as a concrete example of why war is a negative impact to society. The theme falls under Tragedy & Loss. Comparatively, the authors lived notably contrasting lives. Although they had distinct lives, they share a common standpoint on the war. Turner allows the reader to view the tragedies of the war from the inside and Mikhail allows the reader to view it from the outside. Turner was a soldier in the war and Mikhail was simply a witness to the war. Hence, one can see the styles of witness and experience poetry juxtaposed with each another. The third pair of poems are “Salt” by Brian Turner and “Love” by Bekes Jr. “The first time I wore my uniform it did not fit seams still untested” — “Salt” (Calica 81).

It is expected for Turner to write such a poem since he served in the war. One can gather that he was not completely for the war with just the first line of the poem. He had his doubts about the war. Soon enough, he learned to deal with his doubts and wear his uniform proudly. The theme of “Salt” is Love & Attachment because the poem teaches the reader that one will learn to love

He studied english at Baghdad University and journalism at the University of Leipzig. As a young boy, he developed a strong affinity for poetry. He was fascinated by the “magic rhythms of the Koran and the mystical tales of the Arabian Nights” (Rotterdam). When modern porter was introduced to Iraq after World War II, al-Azzawi deliberately associated himself with it. al-Azzawi believed that poetry’s purpose is to unmask the underlying truth and confront the lies and fraud present. “Poetry reminds us time and again of what is where in life, it puts knowledge above ignorance, decency above barbarism, distinction above generalization, remembrance above amnesia, and most of all, creativity above the daily grind”