Randall Jarrell put much thought into his poem, “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”, but more specifically into the tone. Tone is the attitude an author has towards his or her subject and it has the power to be bland, or have a true impact on the literary work being presented. Jarrell effectively used imagery and diction to create the attitude he wanted his readers to conclude in their own way. First, Jarrell uses imagery abundantly throughout his lyrical poem. The character used in the poem is compared to what we would believe to be an animal, with fur of some kind. The comparison to an animal hunched over with frozen fur gives us, as readers, a visualization of how small the Ball Turret Gunner is and allows us to understand that the men in these positions are nervous and in high altitudes, thus more than likely frozen with sweat. Additionally, Jarrell specifically names six-miles above the earth which engages readers in knowing that this is not a little mission, as they are miles above earth’s surface. Also, the gory ending of washing the flesh out of the turret with a hose enables readers to visualize how this situation typically pans out. Simply due to the goriness of the situation, readers are likely to remember this than if the process were to be sugar-coated and made to be more pleasant. Imagery paints this five-line poem into a story-board and gives the setting a whole new meaning. Secondly, diction is a key aspect in this poem and is highly important due to its
“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”, by Randall Jarrell, is a surprisingly simple and brief poem; nevertheless it is extensive in content. Due to carefully chosen words, with
Carver’s use of diction throughout the poem helps to illustrate how we should live our life to the
This is a poem that problematizes ‘language’. “Language plays an altogether fundamental role in human thinking, and it bestows on man his unique ability
the poem. Not only does the choice of diction determine the tone, but also the order in which
Literature and poetry are a reflection of society. The words are reflected in numerous feelings that we can almost touch and can be deeply felt in its reach. Most poets expressed their perception and emotion through their writings. Unfortunately the art and poetry describes one of the worst things that human can do to one another. The legalized murder called "war." Hence, this type of self-reflection called "poetry" has help create new fundamental ideas and values towards our society. In this essay, I will discuss the issue of the "War Poetry" during the "Great War" along with comparing and contrasting two talented renowned poets; Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) and Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967).
The diction in the poem is very important, as it would be in any poem, but Barecca chooses her words very nicely to create the image that she wants us to perceive.
“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” written by Randall Jarrell is a poem that introduces three major ideas in only five lines. These ideas are birth, death, and war. Jarrell is able to accomplish a lot in this short poem by using diction and syntax such as metaphor and figurative language.
Prompt: Write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the poem's organization, diction, and figurative language prepare the reader for the speaker's concluding response.
Since the beginning of time, humans have sought after power and control. It is human instinct to desire to be the undisputed champion, but when does it become a problem? Warfare has been practiced throughout civilization as a way to justify power. Though the orders come directly from one man, thousands of men and women pay the ultimate sacrifice. In Randall Jerrell’s “The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner”, Jarrell is commenting on the brutality of warfare. Not only does Jarrell address the tragedies of war, he also blames politics, war leaders, and the soldier’s acknowledgement of his duties. (Hill 6) With only five lines of text, his poems allows the reader to understand what a soldier can go through. With the use of Jerrell’s poem, The Vietnam War, and Brian Turner’s “Ameriki Jundee”, the truth of combat will be revealed.
symbolic richness, but at the same time the poem supplies the reader with a wide
Poems are typically written in a distinctive way to convey a specific message to the reader. The words or diction construct a poem by depicting ideas, feelings, setting, and characters. Therefore, a poet must chose his/her words with great care to create the appropriate message and to allow the reader to comprehend the general meaning. Thomas Hardy composed The Man He Killed, a poem demonstrating the effect war has upon soldiers and how war changes friend into a foe. The informal diction used by Hardy adds to the general meaning and impact of the poem. Idiom, specific and concrete words, and rhyming are all combined to form the diction of the poem, which enhance the
Another one of the most important aspects of a great poem, is it’s form. The author’s
A well-written poem would help one to engage into the work with their senses. One should be able to ask themselves what the poem caused them to think, hear, see, feel, taste, and to determine what he or she learned from the poet’s words. Many people believe that because poetry is an enigmatic art, and that there is no way for sure to know the
poem is not merely a static, decorative creation, but that it is an act of communication between the poet and