Good Bones

The poem uses the word “world” (Lines 5, 10, 14) three times; this is a symbol for life beyond of the family unit. Told through the perspective of a speaker who is a parent, and who is trying to protect their children from the dangers that exist, “Good Bones” comments on the wider world that is full of misery:

[...] The world is at least

fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative

estimate, though I keep this from my children (Lines 5-7).

The world in “Good Bones” is a symbol for the greatness of what exists beyond the children's knowledge. When young, a child only knows so much, and their world is very small. It might contain their house, street, school, and a handful of other places. But as they grow, the world widens. Suddenly, the world contains a nearby city, a college, another country even. With the expansion of perspective, the possibility of danger also expands. Other regions and cultures have different customs and laws. Other regions might be experiencing war. Some places might not be as safe as others and yet the children—venturing out into what the speaker calls the “world” (Line 10) and they define as “at least half terrible” (Line 11)—are likely unaware of this.