Yusef Komunyakaa

In Slam, Dunk, & Hook, by Yusef Komunyakaa, the speaker explains how he and his teammates play basketball and it does to them. Through his use of juxtaposition, enjambment, and repetition, Komunyakaa reveals the thematic ideas of cooperation and struggle against the many adversities of life. Within the poem, Komunyakaa repeatedly juxtaposes good and evil with phrases such as “bad angels”, “swivels of faith and bone”, and “Beautiful & dangerous”. In the literal context of the poem, these juxtapositions

Yusef Komunyakaa was an African American soldier in Vietnam. After his service, he wrote a book full of poems that depicted what it was like to be a soldier in Vietnam, and titled it Dien Cai Dau. If the title were to be translated it would latterly men “to be crazy in the head”. The book brings up a lot of different questions that would seem crazy for a solder to think. One of these questions is not only relevant to soldiers in war but also to us. This question is: What do we see? That is a question

much pain in most people’s hearts. When people picture the destruction of cities and landscapes from wars it’s a lost feeling inside of hopelessness. War has an emotional and physical devastation that cannot be rivaled. In the poem “Facing It” by Yusef Konmunyakaa shows more of an emotional side of wars compared to “Six National Guards Blown Up Together” by Peg Lauber shows more of a physical and emotional side. This writer is contrasting both of the poems based on the imagery of the destruction

Yusef Komunyakaa and Eavan Boland illustrate their personal experiences in order to emphasize how mistakes or tragic events will follow you for the rest of your life. The events that occur personally will haunt you every second of your life until you come to terms with them. The poems “Facing It” and “The Necessity of Irony” both reflect on past memories by using similar language and tone in order to realize what is truly important in life for a better future. At first glance, the reader notices

A War Within Not every memory is happy. Not every memory beckons to be relived over and over again. Some are too painful and too confining. In Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Facing It,” the narrator is faced with just that--a difficult memory, still clinging to his mind. In the poem, when the narrator visits the Vietnam War Memorial, he is faced with a choice either to accept the memories as part of who he is and who he has become and move on, or to simply let the past consume him. The author uses many

In life there are many situations where you have to make tough choices. Taking a human life is one of the hardest choices in the world and one no one should have to make. In the Poem Starlight Scope Myopia by Yusef Komunyakaa the value of human life is shown through tone, metaphors and imagery. In the first part of the poem the writer shows the difficulty he is having with taking a human life. In the second stanza he says “Making night work for us the starlight scope bringing men into killing range

Yusef Komunyakaa is an alum of Colorado State University, as well as a writer with a 43 year long career, and a poet with a widespread reach throughout the poetic community. At his poetry reading on April 21st, he read a wide variety of poems, ranging from some of his experiences during the Vietnam war to girl “consumed” by fire. It is interesting to observe traits of his poetry -- like who his audience is, imagery, rhythm, and agency of the speaker in the poem -- and how those relate to the contents

abuser is filled with short time guilt and vow never to strike again until the next time occurs. In Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem My Father’s Love Letters, a child has been given the task to transcribe his father’s words of forgiveness to his mother. His cries of “baby, honey, please” dust the paper only to be left dangling, waiting for an apology and “promising to never beat her again” (Komunyakaa n.par.). Many abusers are repeat offenders and use words and gifts to erase the path of destruction left

of Imagery and Figurative Language in “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa In his poem, “Facing It”, Yusef Komunyakaa describes his ambivalent emotions towards the Vietnam War of which he was a veteran. Reflecting on his experiences, Yusef expresses his conflicting feelings about the Vietnam War and his feelings about how racism has played a part in America’s history. By using visual imagery and metaphoric language throughout the poem, Yusef is able to reflect the sad and confused emotions he felt

In Neon Vernacular, Yusef Komunyakaa brought to the forefront the struggles of African American soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. They fought for the freedom of the very ones that denied them their freedom to be equal and the same as their white counterparts. The collection of poems delves into the everyday matters that were a constant reminder for the African American soldiers that they were free to fight, but not free to be as the white soldiers. An analysis of Komunyakaa’s work opens the