Kamikaze

• “Shaven head full of powerful incantations and enough fuel for a one way journey into history“
• “he must have wondered / which had been the better way to die.”
• “little fishing boats strung out like bunting“
• “silver of whitebait“
• “salt - sodden“
• “feathery” -
• Themes

  • Human fragility
  • oppressive institutions
  • nature
  • identity
• Structure : free verse - lack of control over the emperor and state

  speaker shows instability and an outpour of doubt yet appreciation for nature

  harsh reality of indoctrination and the power of society
• who wrote it - Garland
• AO3: explores suicide bombers

  Kamikaze - divine wind (work of god)

  concept of honour - central in Japanese society
• summary : japanese kamikaze pilot who couldn’t carry put his suicide mission.

  returned home in dishonour due to memories of childhood

  highlights extreme measures taken for honour in war due to patriotism and societal indoctrination

  poem asks reader to consider what true bravery is

  changes direction because nature reminds him of the benifits of living and his true purpose
• summary part 2 :

  he is critisised and shamed for disobeying the unjust societal expectations.

  outcome of transgressing rigid societal expectations and defying patriotism

  shame is worse than death

  the father is a living corpse

  individuality is suppressed