what were they like

• In what year did Levertov write the poem?

  1966
• What historical event is taking place during the time of the poem?

  The Vietnam War
• How does Levertov signal the setting of the poem?

  By using the past tense throughout
• What does the imagery of nature suggest about the Vietnamese people?

  They are characterized as a gentle nation
• What natural elements are mentioned in the poem to describe the Vietnamese setting?

  Rice and bamboo
• What does the phrase 'peaceful clouds' imply about the Vietnamese lives?

  They lived innocent lives, victims of war
• What does the lack of sophisticated technology imply about the Vietnamese in the poem?

  They couldn't have been the aggressors
• What does the metaphor 'there were no more buds' signify?

  A loss of new life and children
• What question does the second speaker ask about Vietnamese culture?

  Did they use bone and ivory for ornament?
• What does the question about ornaments reveal about the Vietnamese?

  They were interested in creating beauty
• How does the imagery of 'charred bones' function in the poem?

  It links life before and after the war
• What do the adverbs 'perhaps' and 'maybe' indicate about the second speaker's knowledge?

  They are unsure about their answers
• What does the second speaker's uncertainty suggest about the war's impact?

  It nearly wiped the Vietnamese from history
• How is the experience of the Vietnamese described in stanza two?

  Like hearing about myths rather than reality
• What literary device is used in line 16 with 'bitter to the burned mouth'?

  Alliteration
• What is the structure of the poem?

  • Two stanzas
  • Stanza one: list of questions
  • Stanza two: corresponding answers
• How can the poem be read?

  • Straight through
  • Alternating between questions and answers
• What type of verse is the poem written in?

  Free verse
• Why was free verse popular in the 1960s?

  It was a favored form among poets
• Why is the line ‘Sir, their light hearts turned to stone’ end-stopped?

  To give the reader a pause for reflection
• What does the repetition of ‘It is not remembered’ in the second stanza emphasize?

  The war has destroyed the Vietnamese nation
• What peaceful scene is juxtaposed in line 24 of the poem?

  Fathers telling ‘old tales’ to their sons
• What does the juxtaposition in the poem reveal about the war's impact?

  It destroyed lives, families, and culture
• What is the significance of the statement ‘It is silent now’ at the poem's end?

  It leaves a lasting impression of bleakness
• When did America become involved in Vietnam's affairs?

  From 1955
• What years did active combat in Vietnam span?

  1965 to 1973
• What was Operation Rolling Thunder?

  America's first bombing campaign in Vietnam
• How long did Operation Rolling Thunder last?

  Three years
• What was initiated in 1972 related to bombing campaigns?

  Operation Linebacker
• What types of bombs were used in the bombing raids?

  Cluster bombs and napalm bombs
• What was the impact of the bombing raids on Vietnamese people?

  Caused horrific suffering and deaths
• How many Vietnamese people were killed during the Vietnam War?

  Millions
• What was Levertov's role in the anti-war movement?

  She campaigned for the withdrawal of U.S. troops
• What does Levertov's activism suggest about her views on the Vietnam War?

  She opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam