"The Diameter of the Bomb" By Yehuda Amichai

 The Diameter of the Bomb

By Yehuda Amichai

The diameter of the bomb was thirty centimeters
and the diameter of its effective range about seven meters,
with four dead and eleven wounded.

And around these, in a larger circle
of pain and time, two hospitals are scattered
and one graveyard. But the young woman
who was buried in the city she came from,
at a distance of more than a hundred kilometers,
enlarges the circle considerably,

And the solitary man mourning her death
at the distant shores of a country far across the sea
includes the entire world in the circle.

And I won’t even mention the crying of orphans
that reaches up to the throne of God and
beyond, making
a circle with no end and no God.

"The Diameter of the Bomb" is a powerful meditation on the far-reaching impact of violence and conflict. Through the imagery of expanding circles, Yehuda Amichai captures the profound, often invisible toll that war takes on individuals, communities, and the world at large. The poem serves as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of human suffering and the enduring consequences of violent actions.

"The Diameter of the Bomb" begins with stark, almost clinical measurements: a bomb with a diameter of thirty centimeters and an effective range of seven meters. These specifics provide a cold, calculated sense of precision often associated with military reports, but Amichai quickly moves beyond these numbers to reveal the profound human cost behind the statistics.

In the immediate circle of destruction, four people are killed, and eleven are wounded. The poem then expands outward, describing the secondary effects: the wounded are taken to hospitals, and the dead are taken to cemeteries, showing how the bomb’s impact extends into broader aspects of community life. These are the first signs that the bomb’s effect is much larger than its physical blast radius.

The poet then introduces the story of a young woman who was killed by the bomb but is buried in her hometown, a hundred kilometers away. This distance suggests that the bomb's impact is not just a local tragedy; it extends far beyond the blast site, affecting families and communities separated by physical space. The circle of pain continues to grow, as even those not physically present at the explosion are touched by its aftermath.

Further expanding the impact, the poem describes a solitary man mourning the young woman’s death from a distant shore, across the sea. This detail emphasizes how grief and loss are not confined by geography—they stretch across continents, linking people in a shared, sorrowful connection that transcends the immediate effects of the bomb.

Finally, Amichai touches on the ultimate, immeasurable circle: the cries of orphans who have lost parents to the violence. These cries are described as reaching up to the throne of God, suggesting a divine audience to human suffering, and even beyond that, implying that the pain caused by such violence has no boundaries, no end. This concluding imagery suggests an infinite and inescapable circle of suffering, questioning whether divine intervention or compassion exists in the face of such relentless human agony.

Themes

Imagery of Circles: The poet uses the image of circles to symbolize the expanding impact of violence. What begins as a measurable, contained act of destruction spirals outward, touching the lives of many far beyond the bomb’s immediate vicinity.

Juxtaposition of Scale: The contrast between the small, defined size of the bomb and the immeasurable reach of its consequences highlights the disproportionate impact of violence. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the broader effects of war and conflict, where a single act can cause ripples that reach across the globe.

Human Suffering: The poem emphasizes human suffering by mentioning hospitals, graves, and mourning individuals, putting faces and emotions to the statistics often reported in war. It personalizes the abstract notion of collateral damage, making the reader feel the pain of each expanding circle.

Critique of War and Violence: Amichai’s poem critiques the senselessness of war and violence, revealing the profound and far-reaching effects of what might initially seem like isolated incidents. The poem’s circles represent how violence, once initiated, cannot be contained or controlled.

Question of Divinity: The final lines introduce a theological dimension, questioning the presence or absence of God in the face of such suffering. The mention of orphans’ cries reaching the "throne of God" suggests a profound moral and spiritual crisis, leaving the reader with a sense of unanswered questions about justice, compassion, and the role of divinity.