Introduction
The theme of war has always been one of the central topics in the world literature. Thousands of people have witnessed and participated in numerous military conflicts throughout history. It impacted their mentality, psyche, and lives and led to radical worldview changes. At the same time, the soldiers, who were at the center of horrible events and faced death, acquired first-hand experience and impressions of war. Thus, the theme of war is discussed by Brian Turner in his poem “What Every Soldier Should Know.”
The author explores the problems that arise between soldiers of different cultures and worldviews. He reveals how lives change throughout the war and what consequences can await any soldier or civilian. Like in his other works, the poet discusses death, war, and the consequences of military conflicts. War invariably ruins many people’s lives, and when cultures clash, hatred and horror always dominate. Speaking to American soldiers, Turner contends that they must be ready to deal with hatred and that their involvement in the conflict comes at a great cost.
War, Horror, and Hatred
The interaction between the U.S. Army and local people and soldiers is the first important aspect touched upon by Brian Turner in the poem. Being a part of the collection of poems devoted to the War in Iraq, “What Every Soldier Should Know” continues the prominent tradition of soldier poetry (Higbee 115). However, as a poet, Turner differentiates himself from an ordinary American soldier fighting a quasi-imperial war (Higbee 115). Instead, he focuses on the emotions of local people and soldiers, which makes the poem more powerful. He talks about the terror that soldiers in the U.S. Army and the Middle Eastern forces endure when they come into contact with one another. Turner says that there are “Small children who will play with you” and, at the same time, they will be happy when a soldier dies (25). It helps to realize the horrors of war, the challenges American soldiers face, and the duality of the situation because of the opposition between two cultures and people protecting various values.
In the poem, the author focuses on the setting where American soldiers live and the things that might save their lives. He speaks from his own experience, which explains the focus on the U.S. forces and their central role. As a real witness to these events, Turner emphasized that communication is complicated when one of the participants carries a gun (Najmi 56). This idea can be seen in the poem, emphasizing that everyone wants to kill soldiers: “I will kill you, American (Turner 20). Moreover, he points out the attitude of the adversaries, which is expressed in fear. It becomes the central factor shaping interactions between the opposite parties and causing much pressure on the U.S. Soldiers.
The difference in worldviews, culture, language, and visions is another vital source of hatred that Turner mentions. In his vision, the main trigger word must be “Inshallah” because it is something sincere and intimate that American soldiers have continued to encroach upon (Turner 9). The author states, “Inshallah means Allah be willing. / Listen well when it is spoken:” (Turner 9-10). This means that soldiers often hear the phrase as an expression of hatred experienced by the local people, which triggers their reaction.
However, the experiences of the soldiers who fought in Iraq often show that phrase might also be linked to PTSD disorder, triggering poor feelings and traumas because of the expectations of fire and strikes (Swirsky 60). As a result, in two lines, Turner shows all the fear, hatred, and horror associated with the phrase and its importance for soldiers who fought in that land.
Furthermore, the author emphasizes the feelings soldiers have living in another land. The poem has a pronounced emotional edge associated with a sense of horror and pain. Turner shows that life continues even when war, explosions, and death surround individuals. He says, “If you hear gunfire on a Thursday afternoon, / it could be for a wedding, or it could be for you” (Turner 1-2). Soldiers do not want to die; they also have fear and value their lives. They are scared of “shells / sewn into the carcasses of dead farm animals,” which became part of the scenery.
However, Middle Easterners have no choice but to feel the same emotions. In such a way, as a person with real-life experience, Turner creates images that differ from the popular ones as he sounds both estranged and nostalgic (Trocha-Van Nort 236). The American’s perception of the war in Iraq is a combination of the media coverage and numerous pop culture images (Swirsky 43). These include movies, books, and songs, which impact mentalities. However, Turner creates another image that shows that soldiers face hatred and fear.
In such a way, the poem introduces a war that is different from the image accepted in society. Turner’s work reflects a new sort of conflict where violence is shared and can erupt at any time (Swirsky 44). The following lines prove it: “There are bombs under the overpasses, / in trashpiles, in bricks, in cars” (Turner 13-14).
Soldiers are surrounded by death and are united by violence. Cruelty and potential killing are part of the realm existing within this environment and setting. Turner says, “O-guf! Tera armeek is rarely useful. / It means Stop! Or I’ll shoot” (5-6). For a soldier fighting in Iraq, it is a factor causing additional pressure and leading to critical changes in the mentality. The idea of shooting first to avoid being killed shows the horrors of war and the challenges soldiers face when interacting with the local population.
At the same time, Turner shows that it works on both sides. Soldiers and civilians are unsure whether their suffering will ever end, as no one is protected. Furthermore, they have unequal precariousness peculiar to Iraqis and Americans (Irwin 103). The last ones make mistakes and might kill civilians. Similarly, local people are dangerous and hostile to foreign fighters. Turner outlines that “any one of them / may dance over your body tomorrow,” meaning no one knows what will happen the next day and whether they will survive (Turner 27-28). The poem shows that even routine and usual things are impacted by war.
These ideas lead to another important theme of the poem, which is the American soldiers’ perception of the unfortunate civilians on the battlefields. Tuner’s poetry relies on the idea of radical cultural differences, and there is no close connection between locals and civilians (Swirsky 44). American soldiers do not feel sympathy as they know that people here will “dance over your body” (Turner 28). For them, it is a rude violation of their rights, interference in their everyday life, and numerous deaths.
Turner’s poem emphasizes the fact that both Middle Eastern people and U.S. soldiers are strangers to each other. However, the last ones came to these lands with weapons and caused destruction, devastation, and numerous deaths. For this reason, they are not viewed as those who have come to save them. As a result, soldiers are surrounded by enemies: “There are men who earn eighty dollars / to attack you, five thousand to kill” (Turner 23-24). The lines show that interaction is impossible as American soldiers are seen only as enemies, and civilians are always seen as those against the new people.
Opposite Position
Nevertheless, as stated previously, the image of war and soldiers might differ from the traditional perspective. The media might cultivate the idea of fighting against Islam and Muslims, which is erroneous (Swirsky 43). For this reason, there is a vision that the Middle East suffers because of its own mistakes and local people’s behavior and focus on war, while only America can save them and restore peace. Similar concepts are often cultivated in the media and individuals far from the place where conflict occurs (Swirsky 44). As a result, a simplified and wrong vision of the conflict is formed.
Thus, Turner shows that this idea is not applicable to reality. The problem is that soldiers do not have the chance to acquire the sense of individual Iraqis as there is no context where they can be individuals to them (Najmi 56). In other words, U.S. soldiers have always been considered fighters who came to their land to bring death and devastation. Turner emphasizes this idea, saying that the clash and military conflict based on hatred will never end and will continue to evolve. The author admits that “small children who will play with you” and “old men” and “women” once can be happy because of the soldier’s death (Turner 25-26). It creates the idea of a never-ending war based on hatred and horror.
Both the Middle Eastern army and American forces are cruel and lose soldiers. However, which is essential, the USA does not suffer civilian casualties, which is the defining point in not being recognized as auxiliaries or saviors. That is why their image will always suffer, and it is difficult to acknowledge their rightness or support as long as they are involved in civilian deaths because of their bombs and missiles. In such a case, it is difficult to argue about American soldiers’ morality, so they must always be mindful of the cost.
Conclusion
Altogether, in the poem “What Every Soldier Should Know,” Turner speaks about U.S. soldiers, claiming that the cost of their involvement in the war is substantial and that they must be ready to accept it. The work creates the image of an unfriendly and different land inherited by people with other cultures, languages, and mentalities. The poem is colored by fear and horror associated with the war that came to people’s homes in the Middle East. For this reason, Turner says that American soldiers should remember the price they pay for participating in it. It implies hatred, murders, and the risk of being killed by everyone.
Moreover, the author shows that every war generates suffering, grief, and pain. For this reason, everyone should remember that they will not be considered heroes who came to the land to save it. On the contrary, everyone will be ready to kill and celebrate it. In such a way, Turner warns soldiers about the horrors and challenges they will face when fighting with others in the Middle East.
Work Cited
Higbee, Douglas. “Brian Turner’s Here, Bullet and the Soldier-Poet Tradition.” South Atlantic Review, vol. 80, no. 1-2, 2015, pp. 115–132.
Irwin, Catherine. “Framing War: The Politics of Embedded Reporting in Brian Turner’s Here, Bullet.” Pacific Coast Philology, vol. 50, no. 1, 2015, pp. 103–126.
Najmi, Samina. “The Whiteness of the Soldier-Speaker in Brian Turner’s ‘Here, Bullet.’” Rocky Mountain Review, vol. 65, no. 1, 2011, pp. 56–78.
Swirsky, Alan. From This Dark Place to the Other: Violence and Connection in the Poetry of Brian Turner. 2015. Master Thesis. Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
Trocha-Van Nort, Andrea. “The Phenomena of Encounter in the Theater of War: Restitution of the Self in Brian Turner’s ‘Here, Bullet.’” Rocky Mountain Review, vol. 69, no. 2, 2015, pp. 236–252.
Turner, Brian. “What Every Soldier Should Know.” Poetry Foundation. Web.