Facing it by yusef komunyakaa analysis. Facing It Poem Summary and Analysis 2022-10-17
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"Facing It" is a powerful and poignant poem by Yusef Komunyakaa that captures the emotions and experiences of a Vietnam War veteran as he visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. The poem is written in first person, with the speaker addressing the wall of the memorial directly.
The speaker in the poem is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and the poem begins with him describing his visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The speaker is overwhelmed by the experience, and describes the wall as "a long black finger" that seems to reach out and touch him. He is filled with a mix of emotions, including sadness, anger, and guilt, as he reflects on the sacrifices made by himself and his fellow soldiers during the war.
Throughout the poem, the speaker grapples with the complexities of his experience in Vietnam and the impact it has had on his life. He describes the "names, dates, [and] badges" etched into the wall, which represent the lives of soldiers who lost their lives in the war. He also reflects on the "invisible presence" of the soldiers who are not listed on the wall, and how they are still with him in spirit.
The speaker also grapples with the idea of "facing" the memories and emotions associated with the war. He describes how he has tried to "turn [his] back to it all" and forget the horrors of the war, but ultimately finds that he cannot escape the memories and emotions that continue to haunt him. He writes, "I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to find / my own in letters like smoke." This line highlights the speaker's fear that his own life may have been lost in the war, and his inability to fully come to terms with the trauma he experienced.
Overall, "Facing It" is a powerful and poignant exploration of the emotional and psychological impacts of war. The speaker's raw and honest portrayal of his experience resonates with the reader, and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices and hardships endured by soldiers in times of conflict. The poem serves as a tribute to the fallen, and a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit.
A Summary and Analysis of Yusef Komunyakaa's 'Facing It'
Yusef Komunyakaa expresses the pain that is felt within war veterans when they remember. He looks deeper into the memorial and begins to analyze the reflections of others. Unusual rhythm gives the poem its beauty and unforgettable character. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of night slanted against morning. In the second half of the piece the speaker sees the reflection of a number of mundane interactions in the memorial.
Experiences Reflected in the War Memorial Without a doubt, it was daytime when he came to visit the war memorial. As the speaker scans the 58,022 names of the dead engraved in the wall, he admits that he half-expects to find his own name among them. On one hand she was connected to the past, and on the other hand, she was connected to her present reality. The second interpretation is that the woman tried to wipe away the memories of the fallen soldier in her life. Thus, it was easier to forget the war that caused the death of at least 57,000 Americans. The Vietnam War was one of the longest wars in the history of the United States of America, in which around 10% of the total population had served. The poem begins with the speaker facing the black granite wall of the memorial.
Nevertheless, he did not flinch, and he did not turn away. The use of imagery to suggest the tone evokes many different feelings from anticipation to fear. The author used emotionless, straightforward words to describe the scenes and let the reader draw the conclusion and resonate with the main character. I turn 9this way—the stone lets me go. He is recounting the lost and maimed of the war. He was made aware of the difference between war and peace.
Up until this point the reader was only given a vague feeling of what it was like for the speaker. Especially, when these events are directly related to person, the memory reproduces every second of what happened. It can be argued, that the author was thankful, that the names of his comrades were engraved on granite walls because he was assured that no one will ever forget them. The man is describing the feeling he gets when facing the memorial; it is as if it pulls him inside and forces him to relive his experiences, and that it is dark because not only is the wall made of black granite, but also because his experiences were dark and tragic. However, another part of him wanted to confront the awful memories of the Vietnam War.
Analysis of "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa Essay example
He sees himself, and those around him. He tried to look away, but he said that there was something about the reflected image that haunted him. The third interpretation is that the woman represented the young mothers who were widowed during the Vietnam war. The title of the poem indicates his deep reflection on the event, and an attempt to express and confront the deep feelings he has about the Vietnam War. Once, he located the said name, he immediately remembered the time when he was in the jungles of Vietnam.
Analyzing Theme in “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakka Analysis Essay Example
Here is the summary and analysis of the poem. Then, he experiences nostalgia whilst reminiscing his past. They form an imagery for him from which he wants to get away. During this time the viewing of the Memorial brought back countless uncomfortable memories for a Vietnam Veteran such as the. It is like a different being. Thus, it was a moment of dread for the author, because he thought that it was a deliberate effort to wipe away precious memories. The speaker is engages further with the monument as he takes in the full horror of the vast lists of names that cover the granite surface.
He finds a familiar name on the memorial wall, and is reminded of how the person, Andrew Johnson, had died. The white man is like him, they are both images floating in the black granite. He worked for the military newspaper Military Cross during his stint with the armed forces in the Vietnam War. However, the spouse, families and children back at home are suffering even more than soldiers. Get your paper price 124 experts online This is a good indication that this man feels that due to his racial identity and also the ambiguous reasons for the war in general, his purpose in the war was insignificant and likely he feels cheated by it.
His emotional investment in these names—the dead and missing from the Vietnam War—is evident in his attention to their vast number. Yusef Komunyakaa was born in Louisiana, he served as a war correspondent and was the managing editor of the Southern Cross during the war, for which he received a bronze star. During the poem, he reflects on his thoughts from the war while he was at the Vietnam Veteran Memorial. This is the reason why he finally acknowledged the need to face the past. These two men share an understanding that bridges the gap between strangers. Memorials such as the Vietnam Memorial bring back many memories for veterans when they view these memorials. The flashes take one line of the poem, symbolizing how quickly they come.
A plane in the sky. She needed to forget in order to move on with her life. These concluding lines reveal to the reader that the narrator was part of the war in Vietnam. The names of the dead seem to have inscribed themselves on the blouse of a woman, as though she were herself a tombstone. Prior to the climax, Johnny has spent weeks researching the Vietnam War. He finally relented when he acknowledged that he was made of flesh and blood. Perhaps he feels like he did die there, and now seeing the full outcome of the war, that he never really left.
Yusef Komunyakaa's "Facing It" Literature Analysis
This experience sent chills throughout my body and was emotionally overwhelming. The boy was the fruit of the new relationship that she had after she learned that her former husband was killed in action. The only way that he can find release from the stare is to turn away. The poem is inspired from the experiences of the poet during the Vietnam War, where he worked as a correspondent and managing editor of a military newspaper. The best interpretation was the one wherein the author feared the deliberate attempt to wipe out the memories of the fallen warriors. Hero, who identifies himself with Works cited Marvin, Thomas F. Prescribed with the same coloring page to fill in, and use their methods and colors to bring the image to life.
