Introduction
The literature has frequently explored war throughout history, and modern poets are now examining its impact on both individuals and society. The examples are poems “Here, Bullet,” “A Soldier’s Arabic,” and “I Am the Whole Defense” by Brian Turner, as well as “I Am the Whole Defense” by Mai Der Vang. In these instances, poets employ language and imagery to convey the sense of violence and devastation that war brings.
While each poem offers a different viewpoint on the human cost of war, they all explore the psychological and physical toll it takes on those who experience it. To demonstrate the various approaches contemporary poets take in dealing with the reality of war, this article will explore the themes, tones, and figurative language employed in these three poems. Ultimately, this article will argue that despite the disparate perspectives these poets adopted, each of their compositions makes a poignant point about the common human emotions of loss, trauma, and resilience that war instills in its victims.
War Poetry Analysis
Turner’s poetry has a dismal and despairing tone, evident in the characters and the overall atmosphere of the works. His writing has a melancholy aspect that perfectly expresses the soldier’s sense of alienation and dislocation in a foreign country. While he struggles to accept the reality of war and its effects on his life, the tone of his poems is thoughtful and almost contemplative (Snyder, 2021). In contrast, Vang’s poetry is distinguished by a more forceful tone that captures the urgency and desperation that her public feels in the face of war and persecution. Her poetry is rife with rage and resistance as she and her people battle to claim their identity and find a place in a world that appears determined to eradicate them.
Turner and Vang both employ strong images in their figurative language to express the nature of violence and devastation brought by war. Turner’s use of metaphor is particularly successful in expressing the soldier’s sense of displacement and isolation (Snyder, 2021). For instance, he writes, “If a body is what you seek, then here is bone and gristle and flesh,” in the poem “Here, Bullet” (Turner,2005). This picture perfectly illustrates how terrible war is and how it turns people into inanimate objects.
Similarly, Vang’s use of personification and metaphor in “I Am the Whole Defense” is highly effective. She writes, “My veins are the fabled rivers/ Of Laos, coursing through mountains/ And jungles of war and love” (Vang, 2019). This image captures the sense of resilience and strength that her community embodies, despite the numerous challenges it faces.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the three poems all address the topics of war and violence, as well as their impact on both individuals and society. Although Vang’s poems offer a larger view of the impact of war on the Hmong population in Laos and their experiences as refugees in America, Turner’s poems concentrate on the experiences of a soldier in Iraq. Despite their variations, all three poems employ metaphorical language to convey the impression of violence and devastation that war brings. Vang’s voice is urgent and defiant, in contrast to Turner’s pensive and sorrowful tone. Ultimately, each poet presents a distinct perspective on the human cost of war and its various impacts on our lives and the world.
References
Snyder, T. J. (2021). Wartime poetics: Aesthetic responses to trauma in contemporary American war poetry. War, Literature & the Arts, 33, 1-20.
Turner, B. (2005). Here, Bullet. Alice James Books.
Turner, B. (2008). A soldier’s Arabic. The Iowa Review, 38(3), 135-137.
Vang, M. D. (2019). I am the Whole Defense. University of Minnesota Press.