SOURCE: Nelson, Howard. “Tiny Poems.” In Robert Bly: An Introduction to the Poetry, pp. 113-27. New York: Columbia University Press, 1984.

In the following essay, Nelson describes the suggestive impact and quick, emotive brilliance of Bly's “tiny poems.”

                    While dreaming, perhaps, the hand Of the man who broadcasts the stars like grain Made the lost music start once more           Like the note from a huge harp, And the frail wave came to our lips In the form of one or two words that had some truth. 

—Antonio Machado tr. Charles Reynolds¹

Since Bly is a poet who creates books that are not miscellaneous gatherings but rather strive for unity of one sort or another, I have thought it best to base the organization of this study on the individual major collections as Bly has conceived and published them. This chapter, however, will depart from that scheme. Thus far I...