I think a major similarity between Yusef Komunyakaa's poems and Brian Turner's poems is that they both seem very dark with their writing. For example they both refer to ghosts frequently--in Turner's "Ashbah" he talks about, "The ghosts of American soldiers...", and Komunyakaa's "Camouflaging the Chimera" he refers to "...a breeze off the river, slow-dragging with ghosts". They both just seem to be coming from very dark, sinister, sad, frightening places. The experience of two different wars in two different places--Vietnam or Iraq--may have been different in some respects, but the effects war has on the soldier seems to be the same. There seems to be a lot of fear and nervousness in both poet's writing. "What Every Solider Should Know" basically says how everyone, men, women and children could be trying to kill you; everyone is a threat. I think Komunyakaa portrays the same fear even when he talks about how "apes tried to blow our cover throwing stones at the sunset". Both poets have this feeling that everything and everyone is out to get them--war has put them on high alert.
As far as Hugh Martin goes, I find his writing to be a little different in the way he closes his poems. I think Martin leaves more unresolved endings that leave it open to interpretation by the reader. Komunyakaa and Turner tell a story in most of their poetry that has an ending.
I agree with you in that both wars had the same effects on the soldiers. All the killing and violence isn't any different and the emotional trauma after effects is all the same as well. All wars will have the same effects and consequences.
ReplyDeleteIts very interesting that you pointed out that the way the poets end their writing. I also agree that both wars have equal effects on the soldiers. The constant death and fear of death creates an eerie and sad writing.
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