kamikaze

Question 1

what is the first line and how does it link the pilot to his identity?

Answer 1

-“her father embarked at sunrise”
-japan was known as the land of the rising sun

Question 2

what does ‘Kamikaze’ mean?

Answer 2

-divine wind (names after a typhoon)
-suicide pilots

Question 3

most of the poem is in …. voice. This shows ….

Answer 3

-reported
-he has lost his voice to history

Question 4

what is the significance of “shaven head”?

Answer 4

dont see anything of his face = dehumanised

Question 5

give the list at the begining of the poem that creates a cols, trapping tone?

Answer 5

“a flask of water, a samurai sword, in the cockpit, a shaven head”

Question 6

give 2 phrases that exhibits how the family never spoke to him

Answer 6

-“she thought”
-“he must have wondered”

Question 7

give a phrase from the second stanza where an innocent and simple tone is created and why?

Answer 7

-“little fishing boats strung out like bunting on a green-blue translucent”
-demonstrates the attractiveness of life below and shows the pilot’s inner conflict

Question 8

what is the significance of the fish being described as a flag and give the quote?

Answer 8

-“arcing in swathes like a huge flag”
-links to patriotism (he has been so thouroughly brainwashed that everything becomes about his country)

Question 9

give a quote where the fish become a figure of 8 and why

Answer 9

-“one way then the other in a figure of eight”
-links to infinity, repetitive cycles and feeling trapped by his destiny

Question 10

give a quote where the fish appear to represent the aircraft and why?

Answer 10

-“flashing silver as their bellies swivelled towards the sun”
-sacrificing ones self for your country is very natural

Question 11

give a quote about pebbles and what it means?

Answer 11

-“built cairns of pearl-grey pebbles”
-they will fall over, the sand like humans will eventually succumb to fate
-why does he seek to hang on for as long as he can? pointless?

Question 12

give a moment where sibilance is used surrounding the sea and why?

Answer 12

-“to the shore, salt-sodden”
-emphasises the sound of the waves and the fact that the tide returns..unlike him…

Question 13

give the quote about the fish are listed and why?

Answer 13

-“cloud-marked mackerel, black crabs, feathery prawns..”
-fish represent people like the pilot who are caught in the net of mankind

Question 14

at the end, in the itallic section, the pilot is referred to as..

Answer 14

he which leaves him nameless (ashamed to name him)

Question 15

give the quote where the children too stop talking to him? what does this suggest?

Answer 15

-“till gradually we too learned to be silent”
-learned suggests an unnatural behaviour

Question 16

what is the last line and what does it represent?

Answer 16

-“sometimes, she said, he must have wondered which had been the better way to die”
-highlights conflict and the fact that he still died in the eyes of his family