Theme Of Facing It By Yusef Komunyakaa

Poetry has the unique ability to transport readers to a different time period, or get a glimpse into another person’s thoughts and emotions. The specific context of a poem is one of its most important aspects. The context of a poem refers to the way a poem reflects, shapes, and speaks back to a historical time period, culture, or social issue. Poets are able to capture the essence of a past event through their use of words. One poem that I feel has a clear context is Facing It by Yusef Komunyakaa on page 320 of The Norton Anthology of Poetry, 9th Edition. American poet Yusef Komunyakaa delves into the historical context of the Vietnam War, the author’s own life story, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. in his poem Facing …show more content…
Komunyakaa’s poem is about his first time visiting the monument. When he turns the first time, he is facing outward from the “V” shaped monument. He does not have to see his reflection in the stone when he faces outward from it. When he turns for the second time, he is looking inward at the monument and can see his reflection. The light is another important indicator for the monument because the light determines whether he is able to see his reflection or not. He does not want to see his reflection because his face shows the emotional influence the memorial has had on him. The death toll of the Vietnam War is referenced in lines 14-16 of the poem. The author writes, “I go down the 58,022 names,/half-expecting to find/my own in letters like smoke.” It is interesting how Komunyakaa mentions the exact number of names on chiseled on the wall. It serves as a reminder to show readers the devastating effect of the war. The fact that Komunyakaa expects to find his own name on the wall suggests the burden the war had on him. It is surreal how he expects to see his own name appear “like smoke” on the wall. It might mean that he cannot comprehend that he lived, while so many others did