Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Donald Justice's poem "Counting the Mad" provides a poignant and unsettling glimpse into the lives of those struggling with mental illness. Through repetitive and stark imagery, Justice conveys the various manifestations of madness and the profound sense of despair that accompanies it.

The poem opens with a nursery rhyme-like structure: “This one was put in a jacket, / This one was sent home, / This one was given bread and meat / But would eat none, / And this one cried No No No No / All day long.” This rhythmic, almost sing-song quality belies the grim reality it describes. The "jacket" refers to a straitjacket, a symbol of restraint and control used on those deemed dangerously unstable. The contrasting fates of being sent home or given sustenance highlight the arbitrary and varied responses to mental illness.

The repetition of “cried No No No No / All day long” underscores a persistent and unrelenting agony. This refrain serves as a haunting echo throughout the poem, representing the inescapable torment experienced by those suffering from mental disturbances.

In the second stanza, Justice continues to depict the disconnected realities of the mad: “This one looked at the window / As though it were a wall, / This one saw things that were not there, / This one things that were.” The window and wall metaphor illustrates a distorted perception of reality—windows, typically symbols of openness and perspective, are perceived as barriers. The alternating visions of hallucinations versus a hyper-awareness of reality further emphasize the fractured and confusing experiences of those afflicted.

The refrain “And this one cried No No No No / All day long” appears again, reinforcing the omnipresence of distress and the inability to escape it.

The final stanza delves deeper into the delusions: “This one thought himself a bird, / This one a dog, / And this one thought himself a man, / An ordinary man.” These lines reveal the varying degrees of detachment from reality, where some individuals lose their human identity entirely, while others desperately cling to a semblance of normalcy. The ordinary man, who perceives himself as sane, is caught in the same cycle of despair: “And cried and cried No No No No / All day long.”

The repetition of "No No No No" throughout the poem is not only a cry of anguish but also a profound rejection of the reality imposed upon the sufferers. It symbolizes a deep-seated resistance to their condition and perhaps a futile attempt to assert control over their unraveling minds.

In "Counting the Mad," Donald Justice masterfully uses simple, repetitive language to evoke the complexity and tragedy of mental illness. The poem’s structure, reminiscent of a children's counting rhyme, starkly contrasts with its dark subject matter, enhancing the sense of helplessness and inevitability. Through vivid, minimalist imagery and a haunting refrain, Justice paints a powerful portrait of the pain and isolation experienced by those who are mentally ill, inviting readers to contemplate the thin line between sanity and madness.

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