War
The main topic of Brian Turner's poetry is war. As a survivor of the Iraq war poetry can be seen as a way to deal with the emotional stress of being a veteran. In this specific poem the experience of a soldier when being hit by a bullet is analyzed. While war is a large topic, Here, Bullet manages to look at it from an individual's point of view. Especially the final line of the poem "Here is where the world ends, every time" shows the futility of the concept.
The human body
The poem contains a vivid description of specific organs of the human body that get hit by the bullet. The description is so clear and factual that the reader can clearly imagine where the bullet hits the body, in which angle it enters and what havoc it causes. This clinical use of imagery gives the reader the chance to imagine the surge of pain with each additional level of destruction. It starts with the skin and muscles, followed by the bone underneath, then the main blood vessel. It ends with the nervous system reacting, causing pain, releasing hormones.
Soldier's resilience
The second half of the poem, after the path of destruction caused by the bullet, is dominated by the narrator's response. The sheer strength with which the words challenge to bullet to finish its path show the mental strength of a soldier. Being a veteran himself, Turner would understand the pressures and thoughts soldiers would have to go through in the thick of battle.
