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I choose "Tou Wan Speak To Her Husband, Liu Sheng", mainly because it was more interesting to read. This was probably due to the type of medevil and slight macabre tone of the poem, particularly when death is mentioned toward the end. It seems to me the poem is about a wife whom is rebelling against a domineering husband (evident by her reference to him as "my only conqueror" and "my constant emperor", who apparently hasn't been as faithful as he should be ("And a statue of the palace girl your most frequently coveted"). On my second read of the poem, I realized "most frequently" could imply "most recently", meaning the husband has cheated more than once!

When the narrator says "but you're bored." after saying describing a house of "limited chambers" built in his honor, it tells of how he is neglectful to his wife, and must be restrained. The husband and wife's economical status is hinted in the 3rd stanza with the list of things in the "limited chambers": "the two bronze jugs, worth more than a family pays in taxes for the privilege to stay alive, a year, together...". It's apparent they are a very rich couple, and not surprisingly, even though this poem feels like it takes place in an older time in another culture, it is quite common to see marital problems among the rich (if not so all economical classes, the perhaps this poem hones in on just one class). The husband's actions, as seen by the wife, or the narrator/observer, as it may be Dove herself telling her perspective, will devour his being, even if he tries to be right:

"Here, when the stench of your own diminishing drives you to air (but you will find none)".

This line was more powerful when Dove described what seemed to be the nature of things, when she said:

"here

an incense burner in the form of the mountain

around you, where hunters pursue

the sacred animal

and the peaks are drenched

in sun."

Dove makes it seem that the husband has no control over what consequences will become of his actions, that his fate is sealed. What also makes the poem interesting are almost snide remarks that accompany certain lines ("but you will find none", "And a statue of the palace girl you most frequently coveted") add to how insulted the narrator feels.

Both poems seem to share the concept of looking past what either "legend has it" or the facade of something. (In the first poem's case, the facade of legend, and in the second, the facade of a man/husband). To be honest, I had trouble responding to these poems, particularly the first one, "Nestor's Bathtub", as by the 2nd half of the 2nd stanza, where Dove describes what I think is a room (a bathroom, possible, due to the tub mentioned in the 3rd stanza). Again, though, I'm fairly sure the concept of facades, look past what something may appear at first, it a message Dove wanted to convey in each poem (more so the first one as the 2nd one seemed to focus on marriage, faith, and consequence of action).