Blog 7 RGL

The poetry book "Dien Cai Dau" written by Yusef Komunyakaa details the experiences of an African American soldier in the Vietnam war. One of the poems entitled Thanks is symbolic of all soldiers who served in this war, and undoubtedly other wars. The general idea of this poem is of a soldier giving thanks to a higher being who has kept them alive. Whether they are religious or not, most soldiers believe they owe their lives to some higher being, even if it is just luck. The idea that their luck is expendable, and they all have a certain amount. For example, Komunyakaa is speaking through a soldier giving thanks, "Thanks for the tree between me & a sniper's bullet. I don't know what made the grass sway seconds before the Viet Cong raised his soundless rifle. Some voice telling me which foot to put down first" (44). Komunyakaa personifies this higher being that soldier's believe keeps them alive.

In addition, another poem which is applicable to all soldiers is Combat Pay for Jody. This poem perfectly embodies the idea that soldiers need a female trope. An overwhelming theme which appears in almost all war stories, is the idea of the girl back home; whether they are truly waiting or not. This trope allows soldiers to keep going. This point occurs in Komunyakaa's poem, "the molten whistle of a rocket made me sing her name into my hands. I needed to forget the sea between us...it took closing a dead man's eyes to bring the war's real smell into my head" (49). This idea of allowing the woman to cloud the soldier's mind is reminiscent of Jimmy Cross and Martha.

Another poem which emulates all soldiers is that entitled Losses. As the title implies, this poem explains all of the losses the soldier's suffer because of the war; whether it is at home, or a part of them. This in particular however, describes the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder, and how it effected their relationships. It caused several of them to lose the ability to trust, both others, and themselves. For example, the first stanza embodies this, "After Nam he lost himself, not trusting his hands with loved ones. His girlfriend left, and now he scouts the edge of town always with one ear cocked & ready to retreat" (61). This helps to explain what the war has taken from several of the soldiers. This book of poems helps to understand both the average soldier, and the African American soldiers.