Poem Analysis: "Jungle" by Robert Kelly

The green that grows from me depletes my soil,
is not variety, does not mulch down
a complement of intimate support. Growth
stands between me & the sun, the branches
repeat endlessly the same ideas, the same form.
Rain comes through, I get the leach of it
colored by monotonous unstable leaves.
I thought these feelings into place & now
feelings have no place to thing their own.
The tree trunk is will, skeleton of earlier design
that leaves no room for breath or search or care.
A jungle has not heart. The core of it is to be more.

Response:

Jungle is a very visual poem—I love how Robert Kelly uses “me” as a way to compare the audience to that of the jungle; it’s a great way to help the audience relate to the different concepts of growth found in the forest. But rather than bring light to the subject, or romanticize the concept of the jungle, Kelly portrays it as a place that is lacking. It is a place that yearns to be more, as supposed to a world full of life. This is brought up by the juxtaposition of the two ideas of growing to meet the sun, and the water not reaching the leaves of a plant. Lastly, the concept of the jungle not having heart is haunting, since it is the exact opposite of what most people believe the jungle to be.