Unit 2 Poem: The Gift in Wartime
Tran Mong Tu
Summary
The speaker is talking to her husband who was killed in war. She offers red roses and her wedding dress at his grave. Her youth has ended with his death. His badge, bravery medals and the blood from his dress make her sad. Her eyes are full like summer clouds. Her life is changed from spring to winter. His lips do not smile, eyes cannot see and arms do not welcome her. She hopes to meet him after this life. And she will carry the pieces from explosion so that he can recognize her.
Theme
The poem talks about the tragedy caused by war. One life ends but many others are affected. After the untimely death of the soldier, his family and dear ones will suffer. Life is priceless, so there is no compensation for this great loss.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Who is the speaker addressing and why can that person not hear or understand what she is saying?
Ans: The speaker is addressing her dead husband who is killed in a war. That person can not hear or understand what she is saying because he is already dead.
b. What can you infer about the speaker’s feelings for the person addressed as “you”?
Ans: The speaker expresses her feelings of love, loss and sadness after the death of the person she calls ‘you’. He was her happiness and life. Now she has lost him, she cannot get his smiles and hugs. She hopes to meet him after this life.
c. What is the speaker’s attitude toward war?
Ans: The speaker complains against war. Her feelings show the tragedy caused by war. It killed her dear husband and spoiled her life. Her happiness and youth ended with his death. Now there is only sadness. There is no compensation for her loss.
d. In what ways do you think this person’s fate has affected the speaker?
Ans: This person’s fate was to die in war because he was a soldier. The speaker feels her happiness and youth ended with his death. Her life is changed from spring to winter. There are no smiles and hugs from him. There is only sadness for her.
e. What does the speaker promise at the end of the poem? Why do you think the speaker does this?
Ans: The speaker promises to meet him in their next life, she will hold the shrapnel as a token by which they will recognize each other.
Reference to the context
a. What is the theme of the poem?
Ans: The poem talks about the tragedy caused by war. One life ends but many others are affected. After the untimely death of the soldier, his family and dear ones will suffer. Life is priceless, so there is no compensation for this great loss.
b. What imagery from the poem made the greatest impression on you? Why?
Ans: The visual imagery like roses, clouds and the dead body made the the greatest impression on me because it helped me to see her deep love and loss.
c. Which figurative language is used in the poem? Explain with examples.
Ans: She uses the visual imagery, irony, apostrophe, anaphora, and metaphor to express the tragedy caused by war. She has used the visual imagery of roses, clouds, the dead body etc. to present the theme of a war.
d. What does the speaker “offer” in this poem? What does the person addressed as “you” give in return?
Ans: Because her dear husband is dead, the speaker can only promise to meet him after this life. Perhaps she has to wait until her own death. And she will carry the pieces from explosion so that he can recognize her.
e. An apostrophe is a literary device in which a writer or speaker addresses an absent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and can understand. Discuss the poem in relation to apostrophe.
Ans: An apostrophe is a literary device in which a writer or speaker addresses an absent person or an abstract idea in such a way as if it were present and can understand. She addresses her dead husband by using an apostrophe. The speaker is talking to her husband who was killed in war. She offers him red roses and her wedding gown at his grave. Her youth has ended with his death. His badge, bravery medals and the blood from his dress make her sad. Her eyes are full like summer clouds. Her life is changed from spring to winter. She wants to prove her deep love and respect for her husband by showing her sacrifice.
Reference beyond the text
a. One way to get relief from grief is to write or talk about it. In your opinion, how might the speaker in this poem have benefitted from saying what she did? Explain.
Ans: One way to get relief from grief is to write or talk about it. Grief is caused by loss. In emotional situation a person can get relief by talking with dear one. We can share our pain to other by writing poem,stories,etc or sharing our experiences with other. The speaker in this poem has also chosen the same path. She has become able to reduce her pain and suffering by talking with her dead husband.
Happiness and pain are an inevitable part of human life. In our life, we must experience both sides of life. We must find a way to cope with the grief and move on with our life. The speaker is talking to her husband who was killed in war. She offers him red roses and her wedding gown at his grave. Her youth has ended with his death. His badge, bravery medals and the blood from his dress make her sad. Her eyes are full like summer clouds. Her life is changed from spring to winter. She wants to prove her deep love and respect for her husband by showing her sacrifice. In this way, the speaker becomes able to cope with her deep pain by talking with her dead husband.
b. Write an essay on the effects of war.
Ans: Wars break out in different countries for different reasons. We find civil war as well as war between countries. Most of the wars are caused by race, religion, financial disappointment, will-power,etc. The most important thing is that war brings chaos and destruction in human society. The most dangerous effect is it destroys harmony between countries and people.
The impacts of war are both physical and mental. Human social orders are profoundly influenced by battles. Human history won’t forget the catastrophe on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which took a huge number of lives. The catastrophe not only destroyed human lives but also nature.
Wars bring untold torments just as political and monetary insecurity. Individuals’ lives and day by day presence go under danger. It is hard to secure positions or live our typical everyday presence.
In this way, people should keep away from battles at all expense. The solitary way we can secure our lives and guarantee solidness in our nation is to rehearse resilience and regard for every otter.
In a nutshell, war ends families and harmony. It hinders social, economical, cultural, political and environmental advancement. The impacts of war incorporate physical and mental damage to human beings.
