Dalton

Kyle Dalton ENG 102 Poetry Essay 1 Feb 2013

Poem Comparison The two poems I decided to compare and contrast are that of the works of Linda Hogan and Yusef Komunyakaa. Both are very unique and different and yet, there are very specific similarities lurking in both passages. Although both authors are discussing different times, events, and people, there is a topic that both continuously possess. Both poems have a reoccurring theme of death. As one begins to analyze the work of Yusef, it is very apparent that this is a very emotional response to the Vietnam Memorial. In the poem Facing It, Yusef shows that he has deep identification with the memorial, and cannot deny the overwhelming emotion he feels while he is there. He goes on to discuss the fifty-eight thousand, and two names he sees, and half expects to see his up there as well. The magnitude of loss is far too great for him to not be affected by it all. He is reminded of the events that took place during the war and the interactions he had with some of the men that are now long gone. He also struggles with the fact that many come to this memorial and do not seem to be as deeply affected as he is, and go on living a normal life like the women who came with her son towards the end of the poem. All and all, this poem deals with a man holding onto the traumatic events that war brings, and remembering it all with great sadness and great respect for the fallen fellow soldiers.

Dalton Linda Hogans piece is called The History of Red is very deep. It concerns a deep analysis on dark human characteristics and symbolisms that red has held throughout time. It discusses how since the very beginning of time, red has surrounded our kind. She digresses into how cavemen once drew red bison on the walls of caves in their own blood and how even when a child is born it is surrounded in red. Red throughout the whole entire passage is never stated with a positive connotation what so ever. She describes the circle of life. She discusses how red may represent creation but will eventually create death and destruction. Yusef focusses the whole entire time on the Vietnam War and painfully remembers the death of his fallen friends, while Linda more or less, focusses on how death is universally unavoidable. Yusef mourns, while Linda states death in a cold matter, merely as a fact of life. Although both authors have different means of discussing and describing death, both are focusing on the same universal matter. Facing It overall deals with accepting death, and how people must go through the steps of mourning while The History of Red shows how our kind go

through the steps of life until death eventually will take place. Both passages deal with steps that everyone must go through throughout this existence. Both Yusef and Linda possess a tone and mood that is dark and serious to support the ongoing theme of death. Yusef speaks in the first person and uses descriptive words such as fades, black granite, tears, stone, flesh ,smoke, and pale. These words create an ambience of deep bereavement that allows the reader to feel what the author is attempting to evoke throughout his work. Linda also and speaks in the first person and uses key words to create the ambience of her setting such as darkest, black, thick, blood, haunts, shadows, leeches, burning, and death. The imagery that both authors have created emphasize the haunting fact that passing on is unavoidable and will forever surround us.

Dalton The well thought out structuring of both passages has also had an influence on the

meaning behind the poems. Both passages lack rhymes or predictable rhythms. However, in both poems there is still an obvious internal pattern of sound and wise choices when it comes to wording. Both are basically free verse, making it so they can put more emphasis on emotional lines whenever they see fit. They both have the opportunity to stray away from traditional boundaries of poems to create whatever they want. They both have a somewhat abnormal flow and both have taken truly unique shapes on their own and yet have order to them. Both make perfect sense and were both artistically well thought out. Although not a very cheerful topic, both poems clearly have a theme involving death. Both passages discuss passing on and show that it is a part of life. They both wrote in first person and used chilling descriptive language to create similar moods in their works. . Even though both authors have their own opinion, and way of expressing the topic in their poems, the same universal theme remains the same.