This poem makes me feel peaceful because the people have no idea what is happening in the War because the Journalist is lying to them. She is telling them everything is fine and war is a beautiful, honourable and natural thing when it’s the complete opposite. She thinks lying to them is for their own good. I also feel angry towards the journalist, as she has no right to lie to the people trying to find things out about there loved ones. I also feel understanding towards the girl as she knows what is happening and how horrible war is but she doesn’t want to tell everyone or they will panic, worry and protest.
2. What is the poem about?
The poem is about a girl who witnessed a war at a very young age, when she grows up and becomes a journalist she lies to people about war. She tells them it’s beautiful, honourable, natural and happy thing when it’s the complete opposite. She has to lie to people to protect them from the ugly truth, she knows what she’s doing is wrong and feels very sad and angry towards herself for doing it. She says in her poem that her good intentions are lethal. She means that her good intentions to protect everyone were actually hurting them more.
Hasty pits- They filled with pits with great haste, they used haste to say that they didn’t fill the pits with care they did it swiftly and with no emotion. This is effective because you think that it’s cold and that no one cared.
Bulldozed corpses- She is trying to portray that some corpses were not in one piece and they were scoped up in a bulldozer and put into a pit hastily. These are effective describing words because it shows the sadness and coldness of cleaning up throughout war.
My good intentions are completely lethal- The poet uses the words my good intentions are completely lethal to describe to its readers that when she is trying to help and protect everyone from what’s really happening she is really being deadly and posing there minds with lies.
As quietly as a fuse- The poet is describing how she reacts to her lies. She sits in her chair in her office very quietly typing away lies on her typewriter and she has nothing to say, no comments.
I reach out in love, my hands are guns- The poet is trying describe that when she reached out to everyone to help and support them through out the war she ended up hurting them.
Passive eyes transmute- The poet is trying to describe through these words that her eyes transform after seeing a war photo from innocent, to shock, disbelief and anger in herself.
I think the poet wrote this poem in the attempt to help people to understand what happened to those who were young when they witnessed a war and how the war changed them form being innocent to being angry, shocked and confused. I think the poet is trying to achieve its reader’s sympathy and understanding for those at home during war. Whenever you think of war you think of trenches and guns, but no one thinks of the family at home waiting in fear waiting for loved ones to return and experiencing the war from second hand. Those at home were in pain and being tortured too, but in different ways then those at war.
5. Write down your favourite line/lines from the poem. Explain why you picked them.
Speaking of peaceful trees
Another village explodes.
These are my favourite lines from the poem because they are very powerful and get to the point very quickly. The poet is saying that each time she types a letter on her typewriter speaking of peaceful trees another village explodes. She is saying that she is typing about irrelevant things when she should be writing about War and devastation and things that are happening at that time. These lines in the poem leave its reader feeling shocked and impressed by the words used. I love these lines.
6. Does this poem rhyme?
This poem does not rhyme but it is in great depth, gets her message across to its readers and is very powerful. I think rhyme is not necessary in this poem.
7. If the poem rhymes how do you think this adds to the overall effect of the poem?
Not relevant to my poem.
8. Had you ever seen/heard this poem before? If yes, when/where?
No, I have not heard this poem before. This was the first time I have heard of it.
9. Did you like this poem? Explain why.
Yes, I like this poem because it is in great depth, gets a message across, is very powerful and alerted me about War a little bit more. This poem was very well written and I love the last few lines:
Speaking of peaceful trees
Another village explodes.
10. Does the poem create an image in your head? If yes, describe what you see in your mind. You may draw a picture to show what you see if you prefer.
This poem creates an image of a young girl walking to school alone and walking past a pile of bodies being collected and put in a pile by a bulldozer. She does not understand so keeps skipping down the road to school. Then she is grown up and sitting in a blank white wrong at a desk looking at a war picture and typing on her electric typewriter, she is lonely, sad and angry with herself.
