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 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 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 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
Who wrote Kamikaze?
Beatrice Garland
How does Garland use structure in the poem?
To showcase the mixed emotions of the speaker and the plot.
Her father embarked at sunrise
Imagery, Japan was also known as the land of the rising sun, linking the character to his culture and duty.
the loose silver of whitebait and once
a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.
Listing of the catch on the boat connotes the childhood joys and innocence which are darkened by the events of the pilot’s life. The inclusion of the tuna and the metaphor
forebodes the darker end to the poem.
Structure:
italic/font=-penultimate stanzas and a previous line- change of speaker, from the narrator to the daughter.
The final couplet- very sombre tone but does not offer opinion, challenging the reader to come to their own decision.
The consistent structure uses quite regular syllable patterns this gives the poem a tone of nostalgia.
