Kamikaze Flashcards
Brief summary
A daughter is reflecting on the life of, and her relationship with her father who was a Kamikaze pilot jn the Second World War. Her father turned back and did not carry out his suicide mission, upon returning he was shunned by and isolated from his community.
Stanza summary
- Her father is departing in his Kamikaze mission, he is prepared with water and a samurai sword. In his head he is repeating affirmations encouraging him to carry out the mission.
- She is telling the story to her children which prompts her to think about what he must have been thinking as he looked down at the fishing boats on the sea.
-Beneath the boat her father sees a school of fish and their silvery bodies moving around the water. - This triggers a childhood memory of him stacking rocks with his brothers to see whose would withstand the waves the best. These same waves would return his father’s fishing boat home safely.
- The daughter mentally acknowledges that this would be her grandfather’s boat. The narration switches back to the Pilot’s memory and speaks of the different kind of fish that would return with his father as his boat came back to the shore.
- The pilot returns home and does not fulfil his mission. Upon his return, his wife does not speak, nor look at him. He is treated as if he does not exist by everyone expect his children.
- Eventually, even the children learn to also ignore him. The speak reflects on the fact that her father must’ve wondered whether it was better to die via a source mission or social isolation.
What is the context?
-Beatrice Garland is a British poet; thus, she was not writing based on her own experience. This is typical of her work, as it often involves immersing herself within someone else’s perspective.
-Garland claims, “ I spend a lot of the day listening to other people’s words” which is evident in some of her other poems such as “a Private life” and “ A Kosovan Ghost story”
-Japan was brought into WWII in 1940 when it signed a contract with Germany. the war ended 5 years later with the surrender of Jason in response to America’s use of the atomic bomb.
-Japan’s military attitudes were founded on codes of honour and self sacrifice, these stemmed from the tradition of the samurai warrior, making the sword a pertinent symbol within the poems.
-These social and military codes were so deeply ingrained into society that they controlled people’s behaviour even towards their loved ones. Typically, Kamikaze pilots were volunteers which conveys how firmly people believed in these values, enough to sacrifice their own lives.
- By the end of the war, the Japanese army did not have enough volunteers to embark on the Kamikaze suicide mission thus they had to recruit unwilling men, often their only motivation to carry out the mission would be the threat of public shame upon their return- something which is explored within Garland’s poem.
What’s does Kamikaze translate to and what does it mean?
“Kamikaze” translates from Japanese as “divine wind”, it originates from a storm that scattered an invading fleet in 1250. Thus, it is a particular historical reference and woven deeply within the fabric of Japanese society, one could argue however it is outdated.
“full of powerful incanations”
- Patriotism is portrayed as an indoctrinating force, the phrase “full of powerful incantation” in a literal sense references the prayers and affirmations that would’ve been repeated in support of these pilots.
- Delving deeper, it suggests the pilot was under a spell. It portrays the influence of propaganda as hypnotic and bewitching. This is contextually important as Japanese soldiers were taught that self sacrifice was the only means by which they could win the war, it see,s Rhys Garland subtly disproves of this brainwashing.
-The poem’s soundscape is punctuated by fricatives ‘f’ sounds, which posses undertones of aggression. - This aggression is conflicted, in one sense it explores the aggression that a soldier entering a war must exhibit, but it could also be aggression towards his leaders who have indoctrinated to complete this suicide mission.
“Fishing boats string out like bunting”
The simile “Fishing boats string out like bunting” is ironic as “bunting” has traditional connotations of celebrations. This depicts the extent to which propaganda distorted people’s beliefs- death and suicide became an act to be celebrated.
“Like a huge flag”
- The simile “Like a huge flag” to describe the movement of fish had a dual meaning.
- could be an allusion to the flag of Japan- even nature is viewed through a patriotic lens. Patriotism conducted their entire world view and society were marionettes of traditional socio-political beliefs.
- Alternatively, the waving of a flag is reminiscent of an act of surrender. This dichotomy of meaning explores the pilot’s internal divisions, as he is driven by overt patriotism and a yearning to concede.
“Silver of whitebait” “dark prince”
- The imagery of “Silver of whitebait” is an ecclesiastical allusion. Jesus was a symbol of sacrifice, yet this was in response to Judas betraying him, he was offered 30 pieces of “silver” by the Romans in order to do so. Thus, biblically, “silver” is a symbol of this betrayal perhaps the pilot feels he had been betrayed by his leaders.
- As Garland is adopting someone else’s perspective to write this poem, and it is a perspective that would likely be foreign to her readership. She employs allusions that would be more familiar to a British population to convey the overall notion of institutionalised beliefs that conduct the way a person lives their livers.
- The notion of being being betrayed by a ruler perpetuates within the phrase “the dark prince” synonymies with corruption as “dark” has connotations of evil and misconduct.
“Her father” -> “father”
- Immediately there is disparity between the pilots assigned role within the title of “Kamikaze” and his person role “her father”. The noun “father” imbues the poem with a sense of intimacy, making it far more emotionally charged. Garland’s ability to see the person beneath the façade of a soldier suggests that she is questioning the ethics of patriotism and now it disregards identity.
- As the poem develops Garland communicates that military expectations corrupt familial life and strip a person of agency as even if he chooses the abandon military convention to return home to his family, there is a sad irony in the truth that he is rejected by them anyway.
Form
- Kamikaze falls within the category of war poetry that explores the experience of those left behind, the people that didn’t fight. Although it is written from the daughter’s perspective, the third person narrative establishes a sense of detachment. This mirrors both the detachment the daughter feels from her father and the detatchment those left behind feel from the soldiers who experienced the war first hand.
- The reader is prompted to pity this unexpectedly obscure narrative to describe what would conventionally be an intimate relationship- the negative effects of war endured socially, politically and emotionally for generations to come.
When is the Volta?
- There is a Volta that manifests as a shift from the third to the first person which allows the reader to appreciate that war trauma was passed through the generation. It imbues the poem with a personal quality to serve as a reminder that these experiences, despite being distant happened to real people.
- This final couplet shifts once again to the the third person to re establish a sense of detachment. It sets up an ultimatum questioning which would’ve been the “better way to die” yet ironically, the pilot is silenced, denying him the opportunity to answer.
- This could be representative of how the pilot was stripped of his agency by his military rulers- his fate was predetermined for him and no matter what actions he made he was destined to “die”.
Sestets
- The poem is dived into sestets (stanzas of 6 lines) which can be grouped in two.
- The first 5 describe the story of her father’s mission, it moves linearly and enjambment is common which creates a sense of speed and momentum.
- Yet the final two stanzas explore his return, this compresses the years after his return to be far shorted than his flight would’ve happened within minutes or hours. The gravitas of his decision wishing that one moment cut his life short.
Meter
- initially, the poem is written in free verse to allow it to unfold quickly, mimicking the light of plane. It could also represent the spontaneity of his decision due to his internal conflict.
- However, the end resorts to iambs which reinstate a steady and melancholic tone, perhaps the worlds seem more considered making the poem almost mirrors an elegy ( a speech about someone who has died).
Enjambment
- As previously mentioned, enjambment is rife within the poem. It creates momentum and a sense of restlessness which could mirror the pilot’s disrupted mind.
- Initially, it accelerates the speed of the poem, the pilot had to act quickly to avoid reflecting on thoughts of death- he was acting in almost a robotic manner under the mind control of his leaders.
- Alternatively, Garland creates a disparity between the rigid structure of the regular sestets and the free flowing enjambment. This could be emblematic of the oppressive military control in comparison to the freedom of his childhood.
Lack of rhyme scheme
- the absence of rhyme presents the poem in a prosaic manner (unpoetic in the way it was written)
- this serves to mimic it being told orally as a story to the daughter’s children, it also strays from any romantic flourishes that could glorify the notion of war.
- it is told simplistically and factually to allow emotion to shine through and make shifts such as the change in perspective more apparent and unsettling.
