kamikaze

• her father embarked at sunrise 


  Japan is known as the land of the rising sun. Embark means to get on but also to begin something - he is beginning a new chapter of his life - both choices lead to a type of death
• a shaven head full of powerful incantations


  He is under the spell of patriotism and propaganda Not making his own decisions - his decision would be to keep living
• a green-blue translucent sea


  Connotations of peace and tranquillity in the colour imagery. Doesn't want to deny himself - nor those he will kill - the beauty of nature and the beauty of life. Associating nature with precious possessions
• figure of eight


  Figure of eight the symbol for infinity. This may be used to imply the eternal nature of nature - continue indefinitely - nature is infinite in comparison to the transience of humanity, and life is brief, transient and precious. War and honour will be forgotten - nature will remain. Nature is more powerful than mankind.
• safe


  Repetition of safe - it is safety and life he is focusing on
• a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.


  Imbalance of power between humanity and nature. Even a kamikaze pilot - the epitome of bravery - sense the danger of it. Pilot (symbol of military power and determination) is not the most dangerous thing in the poem - a fish is! Metaphor - it is a prince - important and significant - deserving of respect and honour (like a soldier) Emphasise its significance by using first punctuation in poem (first full stop) Signal it is deserving of notice.
• nor did she meet his eyes


  Wouldn't "meet his eyes" - eyes are the windows to the soul. Doesn't want to see the person he has become - ashamed of her own husband. Doesn't want to communicate with him - distance herself from him as her daughter will. Thus the impact of conflict is ongoing - passed down from generation to generation. OR doesn't want to face what she is doing - feels guilty - painful to give up her husband but has no choice because her culture demands it
• which had been the better way to die.


  "die" chosen as the last word of the poem, which creates a sense of futility and inevitable fate: the soldier was destined to die one way or another. The reader is also forced to reflect on their own mortality and life which will end the same way as the soldiers. In a more overarching societal application, the writer may be suggesting that conflict and patriotism denies humanity the enjoyment of life and nature.
• tightly controlled stanza lengths of 6 lines


  which perhaps reflects the ​order and obedience​expected of a soldier. This structure is juxtaposed and undermined by the ​free verse​and ​enjambment​