In Yusef Komunyakaa's collection of poems Dien Cai Dau, one poem called "Tunnels" describes the incredibly tough and dangerous circumstances soldiers in Vietnam were faced with. The poem mainly describes how the smallest man in the platoon is forced to crawl into tight tunnels and shoot into them, therefore killing any enemy soldiers that may be hiding in the spaces. Komunyakaa says how he feels like he is with the "tunnel rat," as the smallest soldier is called, in the tunnel. This shows how soldiers formed close bonds with each other, and how they knew that they were in the same situation of facing death at any time. Komunyakaa also describes how "he can't think about spiders & scorpions mending the air, or care about bats upside down like gods in the mole's blackness" (Komunyakaa 5). This is because imminent death loomed before the soldiers at all times, and they did not have the time to spend their energy on worrying about the insects and other wild animals surrounding them. They could only worry about the enemy, and about staying alive.
Another poem, called "Night Muse & Mortar Round," somewhat describes the idea of "the girl back home." This is because in the poem, Komunyakaa says, "She shows up in every way" (Komunyakaa 21). This goes along with the idea of the girl back home because in every war, men on both sides have women they left behind who they think about and idealize throughout their time at war. This poem could also be explaining the figure of Lady Liberty, or a protective mother. For example, Komunyakaa explains how after seeing the woman, the soldier in the poem drives his jeep back down the road toward her. She is gone by the time the driver gets to where she was, but "then you hear the blast rock the trees & stars where you would've been that moment" (Komunyakaa 21). In the poem, the woman the driver sees, who may actually just be a vision, helps steer him away from danger. By saying that this woman shows up in every war, Komunyakaa may be proposing that in war, men's survival instincts kick in when they think of their girlfriends, wives, or mothers back home. He could also be saying that inexplainable things occur in wartime that may seem like miracles or the work of guardian angels.
Finally, the last poem in Komunyakaa's work, "Facing It," describes soldiers coming to terms with what has happened to them during the war. The way in which the poem is written, in short sentences and phrases, seems to be a description of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the form of poetry. These short snippets represent a soldier's flashbacks, all flowing at once as the soldier allows himself to reflect and cry about his experiences. In the end of the poem, the soldier seems to be having a difficult time deciphering the past from present. This is depicted when he says, "In the black mirror a woman's trying to erase names: No, she's brushing a boy's hair" (Komunyakaa 63). His confusion of what is going on around him could be contributed to PTSD, since he is having flashbacks of war even after the war has ended and he is home.
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In Yusef Komunyakaa's collection of poems Dien Cai Dau, one poem called "Tunnels" describes the incredibly tough and dangerous circumstances soldiers in Vietnam were faced with. The poem mainly describes how the smallest man in the platoon is forced to crawl into tight tunnels and shoot into them, therefore killing any enemy soldiers that may be hiding in the spaces. Komunyakaa says how he feels like he is with the "tunnel rat," as the smallest soldier is called, in the tunnel. This shows how soldiers formed close bonds with each other, and how they knew that they were in the same situation of facing death at any time. Komunyakaa also describes how "he can't think about spiders & scorpions mending the air, or care about bats upside down like gods in the mole's blackness" (Komunyakaa 5). This is because imminent death loomed before the soldiers at all times, and they did not have the time to spend their energy on worrying about the insects and other wild animals surrounding them. They could only worry about the enemy, and about staying alive. Komunyakaa explains the urge to go into the tunnel despite the danger, showing the sense of recklessness that many soldiers found comfort in.
ReplyDeleteAnother poem called "Night Muse & Mortar Round," somewhat describes the idea of "the girl back home." This is because in the poem, Komunyakaa says, "She shows up in every war" (Komunyakaa 21). This goes along with the idea of the girl back home because in every war, men on both sides have women they left behind who they think about and idealize throughout their time at war. This poem could also be explaining the figure of Lady Liberty, or a protective mother. For example, Komunyakaa explains how after seeing the woman, the soldier in the poem drives his jeep back down the road toward her. She is gone by the time the driver gets to where she was, but "then you hear the blast rock the trees & stars where you would've been that moment" (Komunyakaa 21). In the poem, the woman the driver sees, who may actually just be a vision, helps steer him away from danger. By saying that this woman shows up in every war, Komunyakaa may be proposing that in war, men's survival instincts kick in when they think of their girlfriends, wives, or mothers back home. He could also be saying that inexplainable things occur in wartime that may seem like miracles or the work of guardian angels.
Finally, the last poem in Komunyakaa's work, "Facing It," describes a black soldier visiting the Vietnam Memorial after the war. The way in which the poem is written, in short sentences and phrases, seems to be a description of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the form of poetry. These short snippets represent a soldier's flashbacks, all flowing at once as the soldier allows himself to reflect and cry about his experiences. In the end of the poem, the soldier seems to be having a difficult time deciphering the past from present. The soldier talks about how he cannot see himself in the black granite wall of the memorial, which could imply that blacks were not treated fairly in the war, since it was mostly fought by minorities and poor young men. However, others can see themselves in the reflection, which gives people the sense that they, too, were part of the war.