Facing It By Yusef Komunyakaa Summary

“Facing it” by Yusef Komunyakaa and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen, are two powerful poems with the graphical life like images on the reality of war. It is apparent that the authors was a soldier who experienced some of the most gruesome images of World War I. In “Ducle et Decorum Est” Owen tells us about a personal experience in which he survived a chemical warfare attack. Although he survives, some of his fellow troops do not. As in “Facing It” Komunyakaa is also a soldier who has survived a war. Komunyakaa response to his war experience is deeply shaped by his visit to Lin’s memorial. Inspired by the monument, Komunyakaa confronts his conflicted feelings about Vietnam, its legacy, and even more broadly, the part race plays in

In the poems of “Dulce et Decorum Est” and “Facing It” written by Wilfred Owen and Yusef Komunyakaa respectively, two entirely different yet similar stories of war are told. “Dulce et Decorum Est” is told through the perspective of our narrator as he’s directly in the middle of a war and of the horrors he sees. From the unforgiving terrain to the description of the already beaten down soldiers, and quickly followed up with a gas attack, it is not a pretty picture. The poem tells of the soldiers scrambling to put their helmets on to shield them from the gas, but not all of them make it. One soldier helplessly fumbles with his helmet and does not manage to put it on in time. The images of his friend choking and drowning are all too real for

"Facing it" by Yusef Komunyakaa reveals to us other sides of the war, using vivid images and metaphors. The poem tells the story about the violent war, which is difficult test for a person. Unusual rhythm gives the poem its beauty and unforgettable character. The brevity of some of lines attached the poem dramatic hue. Hero, who identifies himself with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is allowing us to understand the atmosphere of the event and the sorrow of people affected by war. Yusef Komunyakaa reminds to the reader about the main things, such as courage, bravery and valor.

In The Ethics of Living Jim Crow by Richard Wright, various stylistic devices and rhetorical strategies are used such as symbolism, and colloquial language. The use of Wright’s symbolism of the “green growing things” establishes how African-Americans were disadvantaged in their upcoming. In this, the white boys which lived beyond the tracks were able to hide “behind trees, hedges, and the sloping embankments of their lawns.” The symbolism of these green things, displays how white people had an upper advantage in society, having luxurious lives to hide behind. Meanwhile, Wright remarked “I didn't have any trees or hedges to hide behind” displaying how African Americans were not protected, leaving them easily discriminated against and futile against attack. In this, Wright remarks that the green things “grew into an overarching symbol of fear.” Furthermore, the use of colloquial language by white people displayed how they had the freedom to say what they pleased, whereas Wright had to talk formally to white people using phrases such as “Yes, sir", and“No, sir, Mr. Pease.” Additionally, Wright had to question every word he said, in an attempt to not to offend a white man, describing how “To have said: "Thank you!" would have made the white man think that you thought you were receiving from him a personal service. For such an act I have seen Negroes take a blow in the mouth.” Together, these stylistic choices affect the tone and meaning of the work as they display the unjust

In his poem, “Facing It”, Yusef Komunyakaa describes his ambivalent emotions towards the Vietnam War of which he was a veteran. Reflecting on his experiences, Yusef expresses his conflicting feelings about the Vietnam War and his feelings about how racism has played a part in America’s history. By using visual imagery and metaphoric language throughout the poem, Yusef is able to reflect the sad and confused emotions he felt while visiting the Vietnam memorial.

In a time when Africans were stolen from their native lands and brought through the middle passage to a land that claimed was a free country, a small African girl, who would later be known as Phillis Wheatley, was sold in Boston in 1761. In the speech, “The Miracle of Black Poetry in America”, written by June Jordan, a well respected black poet, professor and activist, wrote the speech in 1986, 200 years after Phillis walked the earth, to honor the legacy of the first black female poet for the people of the United States. Jordan, passionately alludes to the example of Phillis Wheatley’s life, to show the strength and perseverance of African-American people throughout difficult history and how they have overcome the impossible.

The purpose of this essay is to compare the of Wendell Berry’s essay, “The Failure of War”, Dorianne Laux’s poem, Staff Sgt. Metz and Damon Winter’s photograph of Sgt. Brian Keith. All three of these pieces represent the controversial issue of War which is a topic for a argumentative piece. In two of the written pieces the writer acknowledges the opposition, however, the picture the opposition is implied. Each piece has a purpose aimed at an audience with an emotional appeal.

O’Brien’s use of imagery allows him to paint a vivid depiction of the horrors experienced by the foot soldiers in Vietnam. These horrors perpetuate the physical and emotional

Sharon Krause explains that, "To look at the inscribed names, one must look at oneself. Part of the monument's messages, therefore, the poem's message is that the viewer is "litterally" among the fallen" (pg 115). When he looks in the black granite wall he is almost looking straight past the engraved names and having to look at himself and the other reflections in it, when he sees himself he becomes part of it. Johnson explains that although he is feeling this he is still interested in looking around and paying attention what's going on with the wall. She said, "Despite his uneasiness, the poet is not entirely estranged from the wall. He is intrigued as he moves around it, altering his view and manipulating his reflection" (pg

In John Berger’s essay “Ways of Seeing,” he shares his view on how he feels art is seen. Mr. Berger explores how the views of people are original and how art is seen very differently. By comparing certain photographs, he goes on to let his Audience, which is represented as the academic, witness for themselves how art may come across as something specific and it can mean something completely different depending on who is studying the art. The author goes into details of why images were first used, how we used to analyze art vs how we do today, and the rarity of arts. He is able to effectively pass on his message by using the strategies of Rhetoric, which include Logos, Pathos, and Ethos.

Poets frequently utilize vivid images to further depict the overall meaning of their works. The imagery in “& the War Was in Its Infancy Then,” by Maurice Emerson Decaul, conveys mental images in the reader’s mind that shows the physical damage of war with the addition of the emotional effect it has on a person. The reader can conclude the speaker is a soldier because the poem is written from a soldier’s point of view, someone who had to have been a first hand witness. The poem is about a man who is emotionally damaged due to war and has had to learn to cope with his surroundings. By use of imagery the reader gets a deeper sense of how the man felt during the war. Through the use of imagery, tone, and deeper meaning, Decaul shows us the

I chose the poem “Facing It” to discuss. The first image I got was in the second line when he says hiding inside the black granite. I think that image is important because it lets you know that the person is not human. you can imagine somebody hiding inside something, somebody that is not alive maybe a ghost. Also when the poet says, “I turn this way the stone lets me go, I turned that way I’m inside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial again…” you can imagine the person as a ghost. without this key image you would not know or understand that it is a veteran who has died and is a ghost looking at his own memorial. “I touch the name and Andrew Johnson, I see the booby traps white Flash…”, this image is very important it let you know that he was a

Def poetry is a form of poetry typically based on urban culture and themes, often with an expressed focus on the African American experience. This type of poetry illustrates the experiences and lifestyle of those who grow up in urban environments. For years it has been bubbling under the surface as an underground phenomenon, but now it is beginning to creep its way into the mainstream. Def poetry can take a number of different forms, depending on the poet, though it typically expresses personal opinions and life stories. This type of poetry is often associated with a series of performances called Def Poetry Jam, which developed out of Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam series. Performances also include special appearances by well-known actors

The Contemporary Black Poetry Project featured three award winning African-American poets from Michigan: Toi Derricotte, Naomi Long Madgett, and Herbert Woodward Martin. The poets ranged in age from seventy-five to ninety-three. The Contemporary Black Poetry Project featured four public readings this fall. I attended the fourth reading which took place on October first in Harbor Springs, Michigan, at the Harbor Springs United Methodist Church. All of the poets’ pieces and performances were exquisite, however in this essay I will focus exclusively on Mr. Herbert Woodward Martin’s work. African American culture, music, and history greatly influence Mr. Martin’s poems.

The section of the Berlin Wall here on campus at UVA is presented in front of Alderman Library. Students walk by this piece of art multiple times a day but rarely stop to talk a closer look. I caught a glimpse of this eccentric piece of art during summer orientation. I could not help but wonder what the significance was. I was intrigued by the meaning of the two faces boldly painted on the wall. The wall is tall, a little more than two times my height of 5’8’’. The wall is long enough where I have to turn my head to see each end. There are two different distinct heads on the wall, each with an unmistakable expression of displeasure. The facial features on each head are vastly different. The face on the left has very large pursed lips. The face on the right has a frown giving off a melancholy vibe. The eyes on the left are wide open and observant and on the right are they are simply nonexistent. The crown is smaller on the left than on the right. The bold crown on the right covers where the eyes should be. The large eyes and bold pupils on the left face draw me into the painting.