Kamikaze by Garland Flashcards
(10 cards)
Who wrote the poem Kamikaze?
Garland
What is this poem about?
Opens with a Kamikaze (Japanese suicide pilots during WW2) pilot setting off on his mission
To be a Kamikaze pilot was a great honour
The pilot turned around after seeing the beauty of nature and recalling his childhood
The pilot was shunned when he got home and his family
What are the main themes of this poem?
conflict, patriotism, memory, nature, family, effects of war
What quotes are motifs of patriotism?
her father embarked at sunrise’ / ‘like a huge flag’ / ‘bunting’ - Motif of Patriotism; the reader is reminded that Japan is known as the land of the rising sun. Except instead of this being a new day full of hope, he is potentially heading towards his death. Moreover, “embark” means to get on but also to begin something, the father is beginning a new chapter of his life through rejecting his role as a kamikaze pilot. The simile shows that the father and his family are indoctrinated by Japanese culture and societal norms which is why he believes dying should be glorified and celebrated. Perhaps Garland is criticizing how patriotism is so powerful it can dictate how a person and society act
What quotes are motifs of nature?
‘little fishing boats’ /‘green-blue translucent sea’/‘pearl-grey pebbles’/ ‘loose silver of whitebait’ - Motif of Nature - Garland reinforces the overwhelming power of nature as some seek solace in it as a reminder that an otherwise bleak life still possesses beauty.‘Silver’ is seen as a beautiful and precious mirroring the how nature is fragile and valuable. ‘Pearl-grey’ reinforces how the most elegant and graceful things in the world that should be appreciated are found in nature and unlike glorifying death and encouraging suicide, the pilot was right to turn back as he values the world he is in.
What quote shows that is is written in the daughters perspective?
‘She thought recounting it later to her children’ - Written from a daughter’s perspective in the third person. This narration creates a sense of detachment which reflects the distance the speaker feels from her father’s life as she grew up not knowing him. This is further exemplified by the volta and change to first person and direct speech that is italicised to indicate th daughter speaking to her children who never knew their ‘grandfather’
Why do the first five stanzas consist of one sentence?
this covers an account of the pilot’s flight as imagined by the daughter. The absence of the pilot’s voice reinforces how he is wiped from existence and shunned by society to the extent that his life is a fictional story that is retold by his children.
Why are the stanza lengths tightly controlled of six lines?
reflects the order and obedience expected of a soldier, however this is juxtaposed and undermined by the free verse and enjambment mimicking the attempts of freedom within the confines of the strict stanza structure suggests her father had his own desires
What poems can Kamikaze compare to?
Remains (life after war, guilt, reality of war), Emigree (both are outcasts), Poppies (effect of war on families), Charge of the Light Brigade (Patriotism)
What is the context for Kamikaze?
Towards the end of WW1,The empire of Japan was devised a new and terrifying weapon: kamikaze. In japanese, the word means ‘divine wind’
-a kamikaze was an aicraft loaded with explosives and intent on making a deliberate suicide attack on an enemy target
