Poppies & Kamikaze

• Both Poppies and Kamikaze explore the impact of war on individuals and their families. Poppies presents a mother’s grief and loss as her son leaves for war, while Kamikaze focuses on a pilot who returns home but is metaphorically “dead” to his family because of his choice. Both poems show that war’s effects extend beyond the battlefield.
• Memory and reflection are central to both poems. Poppies is written from the perspective of a mother looking back on her son’s departure, using rich sensory imagery to evoke emotion. Kamikaze also uses a reflective tone, as the daughter recounts her father’s story, showing how the past continues to shape the present.
• Both poems explore loss, but in different ways. In Poppies, the mother experiences emotional loss, uncertain whether her son is alive or dead. In Kamikaze, the father is physically present but treated as if he no longer exists, showing a different kind of loss—one caused by societal rejection rather than death.
• Nature plays a symbolic role in both poems. Poppies uses images like “released a songbird” to symbolize letting go of her son. Kamikaze uses natural beauty, such as “shoals of fishes flashing silver,” to reflect the pilot’s moment of doubt, reminding him of life’s value and leading to his decision to turn back.
• Both poems critique war’s emotional and social consequences. Poppies highlight the personal, intimate suffering of those left behind, while Kamikaze critiques the rigid expectations of honor, showing how war can strip someone of their identity even if they survive.
• Contextually, Poppies is set in modern times, reflecting the universal experience of losing loved ones to war. Kamikaze is based on historical Japanese pilots in World War II, exploring how cultural expectations influenced their fate.
• The structure reflects their emotions. Poppies are free-flowing, with enjambment and caesura creating a sense of overwhelming grief and reflection. Kamikaze has a controlled structure but shifts in tone, mirroring the change in the pilot’s emotions and his ultimate isolation.