Welcome To Hiroshima By Mary Jo Salter Analysis

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“Welcome to Hiroshima” was written by Mary Jo Salter in 1895. The poem was published 40 years after the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. The bombing happened on August 6th, 1945 approximately at 8:15. The bombing of Hiroshima killed nearly 140,000 civilians, and it was tragic event that made outside which was the United States. However, the title expressed a sense of welcome for the Americans. It has also shown that people in Hiroshima are open minded about the tragic past, and their lenient attitude toward the Americans. The poem was told through the point of view of a tourist who visited the Hiroshima after its reconstruction. In the first stanza, the audiences could quickly realize that the title “Welcome to Hiroshima” …show more content…
The poet shown a strong dislike toward nuclear bombing, and the irony of the Peace Park 's floral hypocenter. "Passing by the Peace Park 's floral hypocenter (where how bravely, or with what mistake cheer, humanity erased its own erasure)". The poet viewed the Peace Park as an irony of humanity. The memorial museum was a tool that used to persuade people that the past would never return, and to make people forgot about the fact that humans tried to erase its own existence. In addition, the poet also emphasized the point that to forget and to kill were the same. In the memorial museum, the poet used many metaphors to emphasize her point. Particularly, the metaphor of time that was shown through "the wristwatch of child" (line 32). "This is the wristwatch of a child. Jammed on the moment 's impact, resolute to communicate some message, although mute, it gestures with its hands at eight-fifteen and eight-fifteen and eight-fifteen again" (line 32, 33, 34, 35&36). The watch repeated itself at eight- fifteen over and over again, in order to show others the horror of the nuclear bombing, but unable to communicate messages. It was like a déjà vu, yet so familiar but also strange. Perhaps the watch wanted the visitors to know that nuclear bombing was an unjustified action against humanity, but it was unable to, because it was totally up to the people to decide …show more content…
The first shift of tone occurred at line 8, and the tone shifted from a tourist who was surprised by the advanced Hiroshima into a critic that questions the history of Hiroshima. “…stepping off the train: a billboard brought to you in living English by Toshiba Electric…what year is started to be safe to breathe the air” (line1,2,3&8). The second shift of tone occurred at line 13, the tone of the speaker shifted back to a tourist that was stunted by the diversity of cuisine in a regular coffee shop. “…in one of the countless sunny coffee shops whose plastic dioramas advertise mutations of cuisine behind the glass” (line 13, 14&15). The final shift of tone occurred at line 18, the tone once again shifted to a critic that criticized the politics behind the memorial museum. “…where how bravely, or with what mistaken cheer, humanity erased its own erasure…” (line 18, 19&20). Because of the shifts of tone, perhaps the title “Welcome to Hiroshima” wasn’t as welcoming as it seem to be. At this moment, the title seems to be an interrogatory toward the United States and the Japan, and perhaps it was asking them to see what they had

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