Kamikaze Flashcards
What was the term ‘kamikaze’ used for in the Second World War?
It was used to describe Japanese fighter pilots who were sent on suicide missions.
They were expected to crash their warplanes into enemy warships.
What does the word ‘kamikaze’ literally translate into?
‘divine wind’
What themes are in the poem?
The sea
Family life
How is the theme of THE SEA shown in the poem?
The traditional way of life and its close links to the sea have a timeless quality.
How is the theme of FAMILY LIFE shown in the poem?
There are repeated references to family members as the poem unfolds.
What is evidence of the theme THE SEA in the poem?
Mentions of fishing boats, different types of fish, the ‘green-blue translucent sea’, the shore, pebbles, ‘the turbulent inrush of breakers’, ‘salt-sodden’, ‘awash’.
What is evidence of the theme FAMILY LIFE in the poem?
Mentions of father, brothers, grandfather, mother, children.
What is an analysis of the theme of THE SEA in the poem?
The pilot remembers details of the games he played with his brothers, the colours and patterns of the fish and the taste of the sea salt. These vivid memories suggest what he is about to lose and conveys a powerful sense of home-sickness.
What is an analysis of the theme of FAMILY LIFE in the poem?
The story of the pilot is at last told to a whole new generation of grandchildren, who perhaps never met him. These references establish the consequences of the pilot’s decision - his entire family and community judge him. The reader is invited to question whether the pilot is being judged too harshly, and to reflect on the practice of suicide missions in war.
What does the phrase ‘- yes, grandfather’s boat’ suggest about the way the daughter who tells the story has come to see her father?
The line suggests this family story has been told before to the children and is familiar. Perhaps they are even joining in when the storyteller says, ‘- yes, grandfather’s boat’.
What are two interpretations of the whole poem?
The poem contrasts the vividness of the pilot’s moment of choice with the disappointment of his life afterwards.
The poem is an attempt to come to terms with the past and achieve some kind of closure.
What are two interpretations of the last stanza in the poem?
The poem closes with a bleak view of her father that offers little comfort or tenderness.
The poem closes on a note of tender regret, which hints at forgiveness.
What does the poem explore?
The poem explores the pilot’s ostracisation (isolation) from his community because of failing to do what was seen as his duty.
What are key ideas of the poem?
The power and influence of community values
The power of memory and allure of childhood
Nature
Duty and life
What is the role of memories and childhood in the poem?
The poet presents memories of childhood as something that lures the pilot back from his mission and triggers his change of heart.
Who wrote Kamikaze?
Beatrice Garland
How does Garland use structure in the poem?
To showcase the mixed emotions of the speaker and the plot
