🎌 kamikaze Flashcards
Who is the poet of Kamikaze?
Beatrice Garland
Summary of Kamikaze
Daughter is recounting the journey of her father as he flew on a kamikaze mission. Remembering the father setting off and the things he took. She is telling the story to her children. Father looks at the sea and the village - boats and fish act as symbols, and he remembers his childhood on the beach with his brothers (waiting for their father). Switch to daughter’s perspective and memories of the grandfather bringing home fish. She remembers her father returning and being rejected by the community. Remembers being forced to reject himself. Leave with the question of whether he should have died.
5 key quotes in Kamikaze
1) ‘Her father embarked at sunrise’
- ‘her father’ 3rd person -> doesn’t want to be close to her father
- Image of the sunrise: nature and also link to Japan - The Land of the Rising Sun (military flag).
- Embark means to get on but also to begin something - he is beginning a new chapter for his life - both choices lead to a type death
2) ‘figure of eight’
- Symbol for INFINITY. May used to imply the eternal nature of nature - continue indefinitely - nature is infinite in comparsion to the transcience of humanity, and life is brief, transcient and precious. War and honour will be forgotten - nature will remain. Nature is more powerful than mankind.
3) ‘shoals of fishes flashing silver as their bellies swivelled towards the sun’
- Natural and positive imagery
- SIBILANCE of ‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds creates a sense of energy, grace, and peacefulness, and smooth movements reflect natural wonder of the fish. Experiencing nature in all iys beauty is a greater part of life, shouldn’t deprive hundreds of other people of that.
4) ‘a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous’
- TERMINAL CAESURA - first full-stop in the poem -> importance. Despite the best efforts of the pilot, its the tuna that is truly powerful.
- How minute and unimportant human life is when contrasted with the vast array of nature -> realization that causes the pilot to return home
- Tuna is the most powerful, threatening, intense, and powerful image
- Imbalance of the power between humanity and nature. Even a kamikaze pilot - the epitome of bravery - senses the danger of it.
- METAPHOR
5) ‘nor did she meet his eyes’
- Written in italics (1st person - conflict of daughter)
- Eyes are windows to the soul. Doesn’t want to see the person he has become - ashamed of her own husband. Doesn’t want to communicate with him - distance herself from him as her daughter will Thus the impact of conflict is ongoing - passed down from generation to generation. Or doesn’t want to face what she is doing - feels guilty - painful to give up her husband but has no choice because her culture demands it.
Context for Kamikaze
KAMIKAZE PILOTS
- Japanese kamikaze pilots flew manned suicide missions into military targets using planes filled with explosives. Soldiers and pilots were taught it was the only way to change the direction of the war (Japan losing) and they had to take part in this last resort.
- Japanese culture was very patriotic and the military would focus on fighting and dying for your country, with the sentiment that it was better to be killed than be named a coward
4 GENERATIONS IN THE POEM
- Grandfather (fisherman)
- Father (kamikaze pilot)
- Pilot’s daughter (narrator)
- Children (being told the story)
Form and structure of Kamikaze
6 LINES PER STANZA
- Tight structure -> tight control of the military and the culture of its expectations
- Contrasts with the FREE VERSE and ENJAMBMENT -> the freedom the pilot wants to have
Key themes in Kamikaze
- Internal conflict vs community
- Right and wrong decisions
- Power of nature
- Conflict between families
- Conflict between nature and man
Poems to compare with Kamikaze
EXTRACT FROM THE PRELUDE
- S: Both speakers are forced to reconsider their perspective on nature
- D: Prelude is man vs nature. Kami is patriotism vs nature
