LIT2 - Poetry - Kamikaze Flashcards
Who wrote Kamikaze? Give some context about the poem:
-Beatrice Garland
-frame narrative of a mother telling a story to her children about her own father who was a kamikaze pilot
-describes the strong influence of cultural expectations, and the decline in power of the individual
-conveys the transformative power of nature
Give 5 good quotes for Kamikaze:
-her father embarked at sunrise…enough fuel for a one-way journey into history
-the dark shoals of fishes flashing silver as their bellies swiveled towards the sun
-a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.
-they treated him/as though he no longer existed
-he must have wondered which had been the better way to die.
her father embarked at sunrise…enough fuel for a one-way journey into history
-dramatic start to the poem, with verb “embarked” giving connotations of discovery and ironically hope
-noun “sunrise” is interesting as sun imagery is referred to occasionally, showing the underlying power and political influence of Japan (The Land of the Rising Sun) and their flag, featuring a sun
-“journey” could be interpreted as his one-way trip into the family’s history, to be forgotten due to his dishonour
the dark shoals of fishes flashing silver as their bellies swivelled towards the sun
-sibilance and “sh” sounds imitate the sound of rushing water, showing how the pilot begins to notice aspects of his childhood again, like the “turbulent inrush of breakers”
-adjective “silver” connotes the value and beauty of nature
-further sun imagery
a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.
-tone starts to darken to prepare the reader for the next section of the poem
-metaphor “dark prince” and adjectives put further emphasis on the power of nature as the pilot begins to realise the futility of man’s efforts in war
-first full stop is used to indicate the end of the era of the pilot, and connote his metaphorical end to his life
they treated him/as though he no longer existed
-refers to the cultural expectations of Japan imposed on him, and how his whole community has shunned him
-he has died a metaphorical death
-enjambment separates his society from the pilot, further emphasising his loss of identity
he must have wondered which had been the better way to die.
-ambivalent ending leaves reader questioning alongside the mother
-ironically, the pilot chose to live rather than commit suicide, but still suffers from how society had shunned him
-the mother treats the pilot as dead, even though he is alive, emphasising the idea of dying a metaphorical death due to the influence of cultural expectations
ambivalent - mixed feelings about something
Describe the structure in Kamikaze:
-rigid structure of 7 6-lined stanzas reflect the tight control of the military and the national expectation of the pilot
-in contrast, free verse and enjambment is used allowing for some freedom of expression, mirroring how the pilot wanted freedom
