Kamikaze Flashcards
(26 cards)
In Kamikaze, what are the key ideas?
Memories, childhood, duty, life, nature, context, community and ostracisation
How is the key theme of duty and life presented in the poem Kamikaze?
Garland explores the tension between expectations of society and the appreciation of the value of life
How is the key theme of nature presented in the poem Kamikaze?
Through the description of the fish, sea, shore and pebbles, Garland explores the beauty of nature and its effect on humans
What were Kamikaze pilots?
Pilots who had to destroy the enemy by crashing into them, killing themselves in the process
What would be the consequences of a Kamikaze pilot not fulfilling their duty?
Shame would be brought on themselves, their family and their community
What is the poem Kamikaze about?
A father who comes back home instead of fulfilling his duty of being a kamikaze pilot
How is the father in Kamikaze treated when coming back?
He gets ostracised from his family and community with a lot of shame brought on him. The speaker questions if returning home was worse than “death” from his mission
What are the two narratives in Kamikaze?
3rd person shifting to 1st (from the POV of the daughters) in the last two stanzas
What do the shifting narratives in Kamikaze reveal about the speaker?
Her conflicting emotions about her father and the way he was treated
How are the speakers thoughts in Kamikaze in 1st person emphasised in the last two stanzas to show their significance?
It is written in italics
What does “Kamikaze” literally mean? What does this suggest?
Divine wind, meaning that it was an honour to be asked to perform this role, setting up the theme of honour in the poem
In Kamikaze, “One-way journey into history”. What does this metaphor highlight?
The significance of the act of kamikaze and the honour it could bring the father
In Kamikaze, “Her father embarked at sunrise”. What does this symbolise?
Japan’s heritage of being known as the ‘land of the rising sun’, with light being symbolic of hope
There is a lot of listing in Kamikaze. Specifically about “powerful incantations”. What does this listing suggest?
That Kamikaze is some sort of ritual and this gives a sense of dignity and respect for the tradition
How could you argue that there is a connection between the fish and the pilot in Kamikaze?
As fish are trapped in nets, he cannot escape society’s expectations of him
What are one of the reasons that the pilot turned back in Kamikaze?
The beautiful imagery of nature being something the pilot stands to lose and memories of his family
How are the fish described beautifully in Kamikaze?
Using sibilanceto mimic the smooth, graceful moment of the fish
How is there a sense of irony in Kamikaze?
The fact that the pilot returns alive, but is treated as if he doesn’t exist, arguably worse than death
In Kamikaze, “Strung out like a bunting”. What does this simile symbolise?
Celebration, life and joy acting as a reminder to the pilot what he’s leaving behind, making the pilot’s fate even more tragic
In Kamikaze, “yes, grandfather’s boat”, this quote is in italics. Why?
It suggests that the speaker now feeling able to speak freely about her father
What does Garland use to emphasise the difficulty in the pilots decision in Kamikaze?
Memories and imagery of innocence and childhood
In Kamikaze, “A tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous”. What technique is this?
Dark imagery that foreshadows the darker end of the poem
What poems can you compare the power of nature in Kamikaze to?
Storm on the Island, Tissue, Exposure and The Prelude
What poems can you compare the power of memory in Kamikaze to?
Poppies and The Emigree
