In Dien Cai Dau, Yusef Komunyakaa describes his experiences involving the Vietnam War in poetry. Like the other novels we have read, his poems vividly describe the combat scenes and also feelings and thoughts of the war, both during and after the war. There are repetitive symbols and themes that occur in the literature and the films we have read and saw, Komunyakaa’s poetry included. Some of the common themes and symbols are the woman back home, Vietnamese prostitutes, luck in war, love in war and the role of religion. This book in particular shows the importance of race in the war as well, and shows the point of view of a black solider in Vietnam.
In “Night Muse & Mortar Round,” Komunyakaa portrays the theme of the woman back home. The narrator is hallucinating seeing a woman from his past, “…& there she is/trying to flag down your jeep,/but you’re a quarter-mile away” (21). This shows the mental escapism of soldiers; that the idea of a woman back home brings them peace of mind and something to look back on. Most soldiers know that his life will never be the same, even after the war. Holding onto a woman from his past is a commonality among soldiers that shows the longing and sorrow of these soldiers, but somehow gives them something to live for. This poem sets the scene where the narrator is idly driving, and the poem ends “Then you hear the blast/rock the trees & stars/where you would’ve been that moment” (21). This is depicting how the idea of the woman back home can save soldiers when overseas, even if they aren’t aware of it.
In “Tu Do Street,” Komunyakaa explores the tension between blacks and whites. The poem starts, “Music divides the evening,” which depicts how whites and blacks listen to different music while in the war; Komunyakaa mentions Aretha Franklin, among other black artists, that he listens to. Komunyakaa also explores discrimination against African Americans back home in America too: “…& I’m a small boy/again in Bogalusa./White Only signs & Hank Snow.” (29). Hank Snow was mentioned to tie the musical taste difference in with the theme of discrimination, not only in country but in the American South (Bogalusa is in Louisiana). In this poem Komunyakaa explains, “only machine-gun fire brings us [whites and blacks] together” (29). This shows that while they are fighting together, which should bring them as close as brothers, whites and blacks live two different ways. Tu Do Street is where prostitutes roam, and it is also mentioned that both blacks and whites venture to Tu Do Street to sleep with the same women, “minutes apart, tasting each other’s breath,” which shows that they are connected in ways that no man recognizes.
In “Short-timer’s Calendar,” the theme of luck and the war is portrayed. A ‘short timer’ calendar was used by some soldiers that showed how many days left in country they had to fulfill. Like the other films and literature we have read, the idea that soldiers involved in the war were fighting just to stay alive is also included in this poem. Komunyakaa describes fighting in the war, “It was like playing/tic-tac-toe with God. Each x,/a stitch holding breath together,” (43). This description shows the desperation that the soldiers fighting in the war went through; it was purely luck that would kill them, no more, no less. It was almost essential that soldiers depersonalized themselves to become almost numb, which allowed them to accept their own luck.
In Dien Cai Dau, Yusef Komunyakaa describes his experiences involving the Vietnam War through poetry. Like the other novels we have read, his poems vividly describe the combat scenes and also feelings and thoughts of the war, both during and after the war. There are repetitive symbols and themes that occur in the literature and the films we have read and saw, Komunyakaa’s poetry included. Some of the common themes and symbols are the woman back home, Vietnamese prostitutes, luck in war, love in war and the role of religion. This book in particular shows the importance of race in the war as well, and shows the point of view of a black solider in Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteIn “Night Muse & Mortar Round,” Komunyakaa portrays the theme of the woman back home. The narrator is hallucinating seeing a woman from his past, “…& there she is/trying to flag down your jeep,/but you’re a quarter-mile away” (21). This shows the mental escapism of soldiers; that the idea of a woman back home brings them peace of mind, something to look back on, and something to keep them fighting. Most soldiers know that his life will never be the same, even after the war. Holding onto a woman from his past is a commonality among soldiers that shows the longing and sorrow of these soldiers, but somehow gives them something to live for. This poem sets the scene where the narrator is idly driving, and the poem ends “Then you hear the blast/rock the trees & stars/where you would’ve been that moment” (21). This is depicting how the idea of the woman back home can save soldiers when overseas, even if they aren’t aware of it.
In “Tu Do Street,” Komunyakaa explores the tension between blacks and whites in Vietnam.
The poem starts, “Music divides the evening,” which depicts how whites and blacks listen
to different music while in Vietnam; Komunyakaa mentions Aretha Franklin, among other
black artists that he listens to. Komunyakaa also explores discrimination against African
Americans back home in America too: “…& I’m a small boy/again in Bogalusa./White Only
signs & Hank Snow.” (29). Hank Snow was mentioned to tie the musical taste difference in
with the theme of discrimination, not only in country but in the American South (Bogalusa
is in Louisiana). Discrimination is also shown when the narrator walks into a bar that is
white only, and the bartender pretends not to be able to understand him because he is
black. Also, in this poem Komunyakaa explains, “only machine-gun fire brings us [whites
and blacks] together” (29). This shows that while they are fighting together, which should
bring them as close as brothers, whites and blacks live two different ways. Tu Do Street is
where prostitutes roam, and it is also mentioned that both blacks and whites venture to Tu
Do Street to hire the same women, “minutes apart, tasting each other’s breath” which
shows that they are connected in ways that no man recognizes.
In “Short-timer’s Calendar,” the theme of luck and the war is portrayed. A ‘short timer’
calendar was used by some soldiers that showed how many days left in country they had to
fulfill. Like the other films and literature we have read, the idea that soldiers involved in the
war were fighting just to stay alive is also included in this poem. Komunyakaa describes
fighting in the war, “It was like playing/tic-tac-toe with God. Each x,/a stitch holding breath
together,” (43). This description shows the desperation that the soldiers fighting in the war
went through; it was purely luck that would kill them, no more, no less. It was almost
essential that soldiers depersonalized themselves to become almost numb, which allowed
them to accept their own luck.