Yusef Komunyakaa Analysis

1011 Words3 Pages

Harold Steele
Professor Jennifer Vacca
English 2307
15 Sept. 2015
Facing Adversity
Yusef Komunyakaa is a Louisiana native, Vietnam Veteran. Born in 1947, Yusef, an African-American, dealt with racism both overseas and within our borders. In the Army, he served one tour in the Vietnam War; the poem Facing It allows the reader a small amount of access into the mind of Yusef Komunyakaa. This poem is the last excerpt in the series called, Dien Cai Dau. This series of, Vietnam War themed, poems express the oppressions he dealt with during his young adult life. The poem Facing It exhibits intense examples of character, voice, and setting.
Character is defined as, “One of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.”(Merriam-Webster) …show more content…

The author eludes to the fact that the narrator is not mentally ready for this visit when he thinks, “I said I wouldn’t, dammit: No tears.”(Komunyakaa 63) The narrator, at this time, feels a wave of emotion he must fight back in order to move forward. “This first visit to the Memorial is clearly an emotional experience for the narrator, and he has promised himself he will not cry.”(David Peck) The narrator regrets his past, when describing his reflection, “like [reflection] a bird of prey, the profile of night.”(Komunyakaa 63) The narrator could also, “compare the combatants [Vietnamese] to birds, but also suggesting how the past preys on the present.”(Marvin 243-245) The narrator lives with a constant conflict within himself, and adds yet another layer of depth to the …show more content…

Setting is expressed, in this poem, through the narrator’s perspective. The narrator helps create a sense of alertness, because he starts to notices planes flying, and red birds. He even watches the names reflect off a woman’s blouse. The narrator’s reactions characterize, “the contradictory feelings veterans may experience visiting the site [Vietnam Veterans Memorial]: wondering why they are alive while their comrades are dead.”(Peck) These emotions are expressed throughout the poem, and are a crucial part in shaping the environment around the narrator. In addition, the aloof nature of the other visitors shapes the overall environment the narrator steps into, “No, she’s brushing a boy’s hair.”(Komunyakaa 63) The author’s character enhanced the setting, by allowing the reader insight into the narrator’s mind. The character’s voice enhanced the setting, by comparing his skin color to the black granite memorial, “My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite.”(Komunyakaa

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