Reflections From Sharon Kraus and Jeannine Johnson on "Facing It"
In the poem "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa, Komunyakaa uses his own experiences as a veteran in Vietnam to paint a picture to the readers of what it is like seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from the viewpoint of a soldier who lived through the conflict. The critics Sharon Kraus and Jeannine Johnson argue that the wall serves as a reminder of all that is bad in Komunyakaa's life, beginning with his past military experiences which shape the social issues he still suffers with today. Along with Komunyakaa, we see the same effect with another soldier where the wall stands as a reminder to him as well. Throughout the poem, both critics seem to separate the issues into two groups. The first group deals with the speakers past, and the wartime issues that haunt him. The second section, however, deals with the social issues that the speaker deals with …show more content…
Oddly, there is a beautiful part of war. The speaker is reminded of this when he sees, "The names shimmer on the blouse" (Kraus 117). This comes in contrast with the violence of war readers are more accustomed to seeing. The second veteran is introduced at this time, and the white vet has been "irremediably damaged" (Kraus 118) by the war. Kraus then mentions that Komunyakaa writes, "He's lost his right arm/inside the stone"(118). Since his arm is inside the stone, we learn that the white vet has lost an arm in Vietnam. This is our reminder of the violence in war, which contrasts the beauty previously noted. The vet's missing arm is "not reflected by the wall" (Johnson 119), This shows that all the bad and violence is "trapped within" (Johnson 119) the wall as a permanent reminder of the past, creating the significance of memorial. Both critics seem to agree that the wall is a constant reminder of negativity which influences the speakers
In the poem "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa, Komunyakaa uses his own experiences as a veteran in Vietnam to paint a picture to the readers of what it is like seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial from the viewpoint of a soldier who lived through the conflict. The critics Sharon Kraus and Jeannine Johnson argue that the wall serves as a reminder of all that is bad in Komunyakaa's life, beginning with his past military experiences which shape the social issues he still suffers with today. Along with Komunyakaa, we see the same effect with another soldier where the wall stands as a reminder to him as well. Throughout the poem, both critics seem to separate the issues into two groups. The first group deals with the speakers past, and the wartime issues that haunt him. The second section, however, deals with the social issues that the speaker deals with …show more content…
Oddly, there is a beautiful part of war. The speaker is reminded of this when he sees, "The names shimmer on the blouse" (Kraus 117). This comes in contrast with the violence of war readers are more accustomed to seeing. The second veteran is introduced at this time, and the white vet has been "irremediably damaged" (Kraus 118) by the war. Kraus then mentions that Komunyakaa writes, "He's lost his right arm/inside the stone"(118). Since his arm is inside the stone, we learn that the white vet has lost an arm in Vietnam. This is our reminder of the violence in war, which contrasts the beauty previously noted. The vet's missing arm is "not reflected by the wall" (Johnson 119), This shows that all the bad and violence is "trapped within" (Johnson 119) the wall as a permanent reminder of the past, creating the significance of memorial. Both critics seem to agree that the wall is a constant reminder of negativity which influences the speakers