"The Prisoners of War,” a relatively short poem by Tom Disch, written in 1972, is riddled with
imagery and deeper meaning. Even in the opening line, Disch cuts to the point. “Their language
disappeared a year or so after the landscape: so what can they do now but point?” (line 1-3).
Here it does not take much to get an interpretation. He is saying that our society has lost
something. We have lost our “language,” meaning our ability to have intimate face-to- face
conversations. That language, he says, disappeared after the “landscape,” which is a reference to
the rapid urbanization, loss of natural areas, and increasing percentage of the population shifting
toward city life. The loss of which has propelled our lives into ever increasingly …show more content…
However, if put into context, his feelings are substantially
more understandable because it was written in the 1970’s which were a time of monumental
changes, technological discoveries, and economic hardships. Not to mention that the first half of
the decade was also the tail end of the war in Vietnam.
Initially referenced in the title of the poem, “The Prisoners of War,” alludes to the Vietnam
war, which ended only three years after Disch wrote this poem. Throughout, both the country’s
social upheaval and turmoil due to the war, are strong themes. Toward the end, “at moments that
may still suggest such concepts as “Civilization” or “Justice” or “Terror,” (line 9-10), there is a
feeling of hopelessness. Earlier he spoke of the lost “language,” here he says that there are still
glimpses of goodness and real emotion not clouded by the haze of war and chaos. He is saying
that the country’s population has collectively become “Prisoners of War” because of the impact
that it had on, not only the military and soldiers, but also the entire nation. Even though it was
not fought on our soil, it impacted an entire generation and its posterity.
In the last two lines, “and at ourselves, those still alive, who stand before what might …show more content…
Following the
theme of the war, he talks about, “those still alive” (line 11), where he mourns the loss of life
from the deadly war, but at the same time, does not sound grateful to be left behind. There is a
loneliness to his words here. The door is a metaphor for what could have been had something (or
somethings) gone differently. The “year” is most likely a figurative length of time that
encompasses the entirety of the war.
Something to note about Disch’s work here is the structure, or lack thereof. The entire poem is
twelve lines long and has no end rhyme. Most of the poem is a list of things that the languageless
Maris Kenny
CRW 1301
Close Reading 3
September 23, 2016
people point at: “at parts of bodies, at what they want to eat, at instrument panels, at new
highways and other areas of intense reconstruction, at our own children smiling into cameras,”
(line 3-7). Despite the lack of rhyme there is a flow and overall melodic feel. The layers
imagery and deeper meaning. Even in the opening line, Disch cuts to the point. “Their language
disappeared a year or so after the landscape: so what can they do now but point?” (line 1-3).
Here it does not take much to get an interpretation. He is saying that our society has lost
something. We have lost our “language,” meaning our ability to have intimate face-to- face
conversations. That language, he says, disappeared after the “landscape,” which is a reference to
the rapid urbanization, loss of natural areas, and increasing percentage of the population shifting
toward city life. The loss of which has propelled our lives into ever increasingly …show more content…
However, if put into context, his feelings are substantially
more understandable because it was written in the 1970’s which were a time of monumental
changes, technological discoveries, and economic hardships. Not to mention that the first half of
the decade was also the tail end of the war in Vietnam.
Initially referenced in the title of the poem, “The Prisoners of War,” alludes to the Vietnam
war, which ended only three years after Disch wrote this poem. Throughout, both the country’s
social upheaval and turmoil due to the war, are strong themes. Toward the end, “at moments that
may still suggest such concepts as “Civilization” or “Justice” or “Terror,” (line 9-10), there is a
feeling of hopelessness. Earlier he spoke of the lost “language,” here he says that there are still
glimpses of goodness and real emotion not clouded by the haze of war and chaos. He is saying
that the country’s population has collectively become “Prisoners of War” because of the impact
that it had on, not only the military and soldiers, but also the entire nation. Even though it was
not fought on our soil, it impacted an entire generation and its posterity.
In the last two lines, “and at ourselves, those still alive, who stand before what might …show more content…
Following the
theme of the war, he talks about, “those still alive” (line 11), where he mourns the loss of life
from the deadly war, but at the same time, does not sound grateful to be left behind. There is a
loneliness to his words here. The door is a metaphor for what could have been had something (or
somethings) gone differently. The “year” is most likely a figurative length of time that
encompasses the entirety of the war.
Something to note about Disch’s work here is the structure, or lack thereof. The entire poem is
twelve lines long and has no end rhyme. Most of the poem is a list of things that the languageless
Maris Kenny
CRW 1301
Close Reading 3
September 23, 2016
people point at: “at parts of bodies, at what they want to eat, at instrument panels, at new
highways and other areas of intense reconstruction, at our own children smiling into cameras,”
(line 3-7). Despite the lack of rhyme there is a flow and overall melodic feel. The layers