Kamikaze Flashcards
Who were Kamikaze pilots in the second world war?
- Kamikaze pilots were people who flew their planes (on suicide missions) into enemy ships.
- It was seen as a great honour to serve your country in this way.
Why is the poem written in the perspective of the Kamikaze pilots daughter rather than in the perspective of the pilot himself?
- Shows that the Kamikaze pilot has been forgotten / ignored after he returned back from a mission.
- His story has no value as people around him (ie. his daughter) have made assumptions about him that they think are right.
Give examples of imagery of planes being used throughout the poem.
- “turbulent”
- “swivelled”
- “cloud- marked”: foreshadows the father becoming a gohst/ cloud in the family.
Why does the poet use imagery of planes when describing how the Kamikaze pilot is looking at nature, considering retreating from the mission?
- Showcases the Kamikaze’s conflicting feelings.
- He doesn’t know whether to go on the plane/ turn back and enjoy the beauty of life.
- PERHAPS… unable to think clearly- will never think of nature in the same way after being a Kamikaze pilot.
- Shows the chaos he would endure if he goes on the mission.
What is the significance of “dark” fishes “flashing silver” as they swivelled towards the sun?
- Light vs dark imagery.
- Symbolically represents how he sees hope in not going on the suicide mission. The mission seems so “dark” but life seems so “bright.”
What is the significance of the use of enjambement throughout the poem?
- Shows how the daughter’s perspective is never interrupted.
- She has full power over how the readers view her father…
Give examples of pastoral imagery throughout the poem. Why did the poet include pastoral imagery?
- Fishing boats look “like bunting on green- blue translucent sea.” Simile - “bunting” - he sees celebration in the fact that he will retreat from the suicide mission.
- “pearl-grey pebbles.”
- Poet aims to showcase the beauty of the world/ giving a justifiable reason as to why the pilot decided to retreat.
What is the main message of this poem?
- The main message of this poem is that Kamikaze pilots endure severe mental conflict/ are completely ignored by their families if they return
- She could be critiquing this fact/ urging the readership to treat these pilots with respect.
What is the significance of The Kamikaze pilot and his brother building “cairns to see whose withstood the longest?” What could this symvolically represent?
- Cairns = stones on graves.
- When he was younger, he was seeing how long he could essentially keep up a “grave” that he built.
- Now, as a pilot, he is digging up his own grave - he doesn’t want to pull out of it/ just like he didn’t when he was a kid.
Why does the daughter explain that she imagined her father looked down at the water/ took in the beauty of life?
- She wants to believe that her father went back for a pure/ genuine reason (ie. wanting more time to take in the beauty of the world) than just because he was a coward/ was scared.
How is conflict shown in this poem?
- Mental conflcit of Kamikaze pilot (conveyed through the narration of the pilot’s daughter.)
- Conflict between the family and Kamikaze pilot.
What is the significance of the phrase: “feathery prawns”: describing the typical fish that The Kamikaze pilot’s father would return with?
- “feathery” - connotations of fragility; symbolises how fragile/ weak/ un-man like this man is for not going on the suicide mission (that’s how he views himself.)
- “loose” - like he is left- over/ unimportant.
What is the significance of each stanza being 6 lines?
- Shows the strict regimen/ control of the military in Japan.
- The expectation will NEVER change for the Kamikaze pilot - he SHOULD HAVE went on that mission!!
What is the significance of the tuna being describes as “the dark prince, muscular dangerous?”
- Symbolises the braveness of the Kamikaze pilots who actually complete their mission.
- The poet aims to show that The Kamikaze pilot has ALWAYS viewed the people who do his line of work as brave! and he is having a genuine mental conflict retreating…
What is the significance of these words: “he must have wondered which had been the better way to die?”
- Tragic line/ ending.
- He may as well have died because everyone in society treats him awfully in society for turning back anyway.
