Kamikaze

• Kamikaze pilots flew their planes on suicide missions into enemy ships. Japanese tradition saw suicide as honourable (unlike in Europe where it is seen by the church as a sinful and selfish act)
• It becomes clear that the pilot turns around and fails his mission - his daughter imagine that this was because on the way he saw the beauty of nature and remembered his innocent childhood. The pilot was shunned when he got home - even by his own family: they were ashamed of him.
• The poet questions at the end which death would have been better, to die as a kamikaze pilot young or to grow old with a family who shut you out.
• “embarked at sunrise” - the word ‘embarked’ creates a sense of a journey - the title implying a journey towards death and destruction. The word ‘sunrise’ indicates new beginnings / hope - it contrasts with the title.
• “powerful incantations” - there is a sense of strong prayers - as though he was under a spell. It hints at the powerful propaganda they would’ve been exposed to - e.g being told it was a great honour to die for your country.
• “at the little fishing boats” “on a green-blue translucent sea” - the descriptions of the fish and sea make the natural world seem so attractive and wonderful. There is a sense that life is precious and the beautiful life of the fish ‘silver’ in colour - a precious metal - further emphasises this.
• The fish “swivelled towards the sun” highlights a joy of the natural world. The reference to the ‘sun’ is a positive joyous image in direct contrast to what was supposed to be a flight path to death.
• Initially, the children do not understand the traditions and expectations of their society - but, in time, they became aware of their fathers ’crime’ - as “we learned / to be silent” - they do not communicate with him at all.
• “he must have wondered / which had been the better way to die”. The poem ends on a note of sadness by comparing the man‘s life to a living death. The final short sentence could be a comment on the destructiveness of patriotism.
• One notable feature of the poem‘s structure is that it is composed of only three sentences and contains three full stops. This could perhaps be reflecting on the idea of the story being told orally.
• The way the poem is told creates distance between the truth and increases the mystery which surrounds the father’s decision. The absence of the pilot’s voice could represent how he was cut off from society and no longer has a voice.
• Use of past tense narrative recount could suggest that the father’s daughter found it difficult to accept the change. She saw her father as a parent, as a loved one, not as a warrior to a a cause. Use of italics show these are the father’s daughter’s words and by using a direct quotation adds strength / emphasis to the daughter’s feelings.
• Use of enjambment is used to symbolise the conflict between the father and his duty. Although he tries to break or go against tradition, the poem seems to suggest that he can’t escaoe his fate. Either choice he made would’ve resulted in him being ’dead’ to his family.
• Feelings and attitudes

  Patriotism - the opening stanza is full of suggestions of patriotic pride and duty - the has the chance to fly ‘into history‘. The patriotism of his family is shown in their reaction to his return.

  Shame - The pilot’s wife feels deep shame and she will never speak to him again
• THEMES

  Conflict - the poem depicts the individual conflict of the narrator’s father between rules of society ‘honour’ in Japanese culture and the will to survive and return to family.

  Decisions - the poem explores the decision the narrator’s father made - to die through an honourable suicide or to live for the rest of his life in dishonour, ostracised by his family, culture and society.

  Fate / destiny - the poem explores the futility of trying to avoid your own fate / destiny.
• COMPARE

  ’Charge of the light brigade’ - representation of a group of soldiers / representation of war / battles

  ‘Poppies’ - two different viewpoints of war

  ’Bayonet charge’ - representation of a different type of war
• KEY QUOTES

  ”full of incantations and enough fuel for a one-way journey into history”

  ”at the little fishing boats“

  ”on a green-blue translucent sea”

  ”dark shoals of fish flashing silver”

  ”was no longer the father we loved”