KAMIKAZE-poetry anthology

What are the 3 quotes used?

A shaven head

full of powerful incantations”

“At the little fishing boats

strung out like bunting

on a green-blue translucent sea”

“And sometimes, she said, he mus have wondered

which had been the better way to die”

Context

Kamikaze pilots were specially trained Japanese pilots, who were used in WW2. They flew their planes on suicide missions into enemy ships-military commanders often portrayed this as a great honour.

Kamikaze:Divine wind

Bushido=the traditional Japanese “way of the warrior”-honour loyalty sacrifice

explores war vs human instinct

not dying for your country was seen as shameful

daughter talks about her father to her own children

“A shaven head

full of powerful incantations”

“a shaven head” objectifies the pilot, stripping him of his individuality, a ritualistic loss of identity leaving only a sacrifical weapon crafted by the military. It is a symbol for military obedience and readiness for sacrifice, linking to kamikaze tradition. “Powerful incantations” implies the pilot is ‘spellbound’ by patriotic propaganda that kamikaze were exposed to, they were told dying for their country was a great honour. The adjective “powerful” emphasises the strength of the influence hinting at internal conflict. It could also suggest how religion and spiritual beliefs influence the pilot’s actions, showing how powerful cultural beliefs can control or pressure individuals into following expectations. The enjambment moves straight from the pilot’s physical appearance to mental state, suggesting his preparation hasn’t only been physical but his mind has been filled with cultural expectations and beliefs to the point they are internalised, intertwining military duty and personal belief.

“at the little fishing boats

strung out like bunting

on a green blue translucent sea”

Irony-the pilot should have been aiming for big warships, but little fishing boats caught his eye instead. “little” makes the boats seem small and harmless evoking a sense of peace and simplicity, heavily contrasting the kamikaze mission. The simile is homely and pretty - a far cry from war. Bunting is associated with celebration, making the image ironic as it suggests he should be celebrating his own death, sacrificing himself but instead he looks down at the boats celebrating life, being at one with the sea contrasting himself, about to destroy lives. It is also ironic as there is no victorious return for the pilot. An image of celebration, colour, joy and life. The simile could suggest his childhood, innocence and identity before the uniform, perhaps, reminding him of the true beauty and meaning of life. The writer uses a beautiful, vivid image of nature in the “green-blue translucent sea “green” could symbolise hope and growth, “blue”could symbolise freedom, associated with the sky. But the green and blue create, vivid, natural imagery contributing to the peaceful atmosphere“translucent” suggests clarity, beautiful to look at, making him realise this is what he is losing and the sacrifice is not worth it, or natural. “Translucent’’ could also symbolise that in that moment the pilot found clarity and saw everything perfectly, nature is the heart of all life.

“And sometimes, she said, he must have wondered

which had been the better way to die”

“sometimes” suggests his thoughts are recurring, his decision troubles him for the rest of his life rather than being one moment of doubt. “she said” reminds us how the daughter is speaking, the pilot is so isolated and ‘dead’ to his own community he isn’t even able to tell his own story. “he must have wondered” evokes a sense of bleak tragedy and reflection, the pilot looks back doubting his decision knowing there’s nothing he can do, it also highlights how the daughter can only speculate about her father, modal verb "must” conveying her strong assumption.The last line puts social death against physical death, after the pilot’s return he was treated almost like a ghost, proving the state’s rejection is as permanent and lethal as physical death.The final, short sentence could be a comment on the destructiveness of patriotism, the pilots family are so ashamed of him that they treat him as if he is dead. He may have wished that he’d fulfilled his mission, either way his story ends in a kind of death.

Form

the poem is mostly narrated in the third person using reported speech of the pilot’s daughter, but her voice is heard directly in the later stanzas.The absence of the pilot’s voice shows that he’s been cut off from society, and the use of the third person emphasises the distance between the pilot and daughter

Structure

the first 5 stanzas form one sentence which covers an account of the pilot’s flight as the pilot’s daughter imagines it. The end of the sentence represents the plane landing, and the final 2 stanzas deal with the fallout of the pilot’s actions.

The poem has a tight structure with 6 lines per stanza. Which reflects the tight control of the millitary and cultural expectations

opposing this, the poem is written in free verse and enjambment contradicting the tight control. This freedom in expression reflects the freedom the pilot wants, or how he wants to break free from the tight cultural expectation of dying in battle

Irony

there are ironic reminders of how the pilot has abandoned his mission.The way he’s treated when he returns to his family is ironic because they act as if he is dead, eben though he chose not to die.

Natural imagery

similes, metaphors, and detailed descriptions are used to emphasise the beauty and power of nature. The pilot’s daughter hints that this beauty was one of the main triggers for his actions

Direct speech

The addition of direct speech makes the poem seem more personal. Hearing the daughter’s voice emphasises the impact of war on a specific family.

Themes

Conflict between duty and personal desire

Nature and beauty of life

Patriotism and nationalism

Family and relationships

Shame and social pressure

Consequences of war

Memory

Belonging