Analysis of facing it by yusef komunyakaa essay example. A graduate of the university of colorado, he also received masters degrees from the university of california, irvine, and colorado state university. Analyzes the yusef komunyakaa poem about the vietnam war facing it. Choose one poem from the textbook, and then research two scholarly essays that discuss the poem you have chosen. Born in bogalusa, louisiana in 1947, yusef komunyakaa was the first black man to win a pulitzer prize for poetry 1994. In memoriam this lesson uses facing it to explore poems written for a specific occasion. Article on komunyakaa from the journal, ploughshares.
Yusef komunyakaa born april 29, 1941 is an american poet who teaches at new york university and is a member of the fellowship of southern writers. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa that english teacher. On april 29, 1947, yusef komunyakaa was born in bogalusa, louisiana, where he was raised during the beginning of the civil rights movement. May 25, 2014 yusef komunyakaa, the author of the poem facing it, was born in bogalusa, louisiana on april 29, 1947. In the new york times, bruce weber described komunyakaa as wordsworthian, adding that the poet has a worldly, philosophic mind. This poem was very well written, and i respect all that was said in the context of the poem. Read these lines from the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. Dec 09, 20 this one i have explicated differently than the previous posts. For example, how to convert pages 23 each of them a4 into a single a3 landscape page, without having to move all the content manually 2 when working with facing pages file document setup, is it possible to remove the fact of having the first page alone.
Facing problems in merging multiple pdf files using pdfbox. Here is a video of yusef komunyakaa reciting his poem, facing it, which is about the vietnam memorial. Click here for a guide to the hypertext version of this poem. The author relates that the poem allows the poet to see his own mortality clearly in the tombstonelike face of the vietnam veterans. There are certain moments in ones life when an incident is so powerful, emotionally or physically, that it leaves a mark on a person. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. The title of the poem is facing it, which is,he is facing a black wall with the names of other veterans of the vietnam war, but the deeper meaning is a man who is facing his past or memories of the war and what it has. Both of these styles of writing utilize enjambment. Son of a carpenter he was raised in a house of few books at the beginning of the civil rights movement. The poem is inspired from the experiences of the poet during the vietnam war, where he worked as a correspondent and managing editor of a. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq. Yusef komunyakaa lesson plans and teaching resources yusef komunyakaa at the academy of american poets biography, links to a few poems and other sites. Facing it, by yusef komunyakaa talks about a war which most, if not all americans are familiar with.
Yusef komunyakaa bio, facts, family famous birthdays. In an interview with muna asali, komunyakaa stated, in fact. Dien cai dau presents yusef komunyakaas time in vietnam in what feels like the truest way through poetry. Unburying the dead defining a poetics of trauma in yusef. Because yusef komunyakaa s poetry is so rich in imagery, allusion, metaphor, musical rhythms, and ironic twists, it possesses a freshness and a bittersweet bite whether the subject is the raw beauty of nature or the passions and follies of human nature. One of komunyakaas most frequently anthologized poems, facing it was first published in his collection dien cai dau, 1988.
Komunyakaa began writing in 1973, after achieving his bachelors degree university of colorado springs. South, thus merging form and content and marking trauma as a crucial lens for. Download thesis statement on facing it, by yusef komunyakaa. Boston university, 236 bay state road, boston, ma 02215 email. Born in bogalusa, louisiana in 1947, yusef komunyakaa was the first. Submitted by elaine magliaro, weekend contributor yusef komunyakaa, the author of the poem facing it, was born in bogalusa, louisiana on april 29, 1947. My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. Komunyakaa has composed this poem by alternating between short choppy lines and longer, drawn out phrases.
Author visual imagery metaphors flashbacks allusion vernacular symbol facing it 1947present born in louisiana. Pdf on dec 31, 2019, marta werbanowska and others published. Yusef komunyakaa born april 29, 1941 is an american poet who teaches at new york university and is a. Yusef komunyakaa born april 29, 1947 is an american poet who teaches at new york university and is a member of the fellowship of southern writers. When reading the poem one can assume that komanuyakaa drew upon his own experiences in vietnam, expressing his hardship over a. Analysis of facing it by yusef komunyakaa 1007 words 5 pages. The black wall of the memorial evokes all kinds of wartorn images from the violent past which are full of agony and pain. Write an essay explaining what you think the poem means. Facing it my black face fades, my black face fades, the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. Facing it is a poem by american poet and author yusef komunyakaa. Recall a moment in your own life in which seeing something concrete such as the vietnam war memorial led you to a deeper, psychological revelation.
As an african american, komunyakaa acknowledges that his black face isnt the. Facing it in 360 degrees of text in this activities, students focus on the emotional shifts within the poem. It explores the war experience of komunyakaa, which reflects on the poem that he has written in retrospect on the vietnam war. He served in the united states army from 1969 to 1970 as a correspondent, and as managing editor of the southern cross during the vietnam war, earning him a bronze star he began writing poetry in 1973, and received his bachelors degree from the. The poem is inspired from the experiences of the poet during the vietnam war, where he worked as a correspondent and managing editor of a military newspaper.
Oct 14, 2012 facing it by yusef komunyakaa my black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. Provides insight into komunyakaas guilt over his part in the war and the conflict between light and dark depicted in the poem. He sees the gruesome deaths of his compatriots in the many. Facing it by yusef komunyaka by danilsa ynfante on prezi. Analysis of facing it by yusef komanuyakaa yusef komanuyakaas poem facing it is a cold example of the affects that war leaves upon men. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of night slanted against morning. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of the night slanted against morning. These poems were written as a way of talking around an idea or question, this idea question being that of growing up during the civil rights movement.
Facing it by yusef komunyakaa is a 31 line poem that does not adhere to any particular rhyme scheme or strictly metered pattern. Komunyakaas poetics of trauma engenders an account not merely of trauma as a. Short lines and percussive internal rhymes combine with sinuously. This post brings to you a summary and analysis of the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. In the poem it states i go down the 58,022 names, halfexpecting to find my own in letters like smoke. The black wall of the memorial evokes all kinds of wartorn images from the violent past which are full of. The poem, facing it by yusef komunyakaa, that this quote is pulled from relates to this childrens book the wall. In the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa, the three images that i can describe their figurative and literal meanings are when the poet talks about the black face fading in the black granite, the women wiping away a name with her hand and lastly the name of the title.
Fourteen years after the vietnam war, veteran and contemporary poet yusef komunyakaa wrote about facing the vietnam veterans memorial wall and the memories and images the wall evoked. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa a video of the poet reading his poem, analysis, and teaching tips. I turn this waythe stone lets me go i turn that wayim inside speaker vs. Yusef komunyakaa links to poems, biography, bibliography, and commentary.
Write about that experience, describing in detail both what you saw and what you now know as a result of seeing it. First, the title is a clear summary of yusef komunyakaa s poem. In this video segment from poetry everywhere, komunyakaa reads his poem, facing it at the dodge poetry festival. Regular mp3s are dominating the market and its pretty hard to find music in lossless flac format. The poem provides few answers to the complex questions the war has raised in the united states, but it approaches the subject in ways that can help heal the multiple scars the war has left. Write about that experience, describing in detail both what you saw and what you now know as a.
His grandparents were church people and he has said in interview the old testament informed the cadences of their speech. Innumerable things can go awry when poetry is recited with jazz accompaniment. I turn that wayim inside the vietnam veterans memorial again, depending on the light to make a. The speaker is a vietnam veteran visiting the vietnam veterans memorial in. A literary analysis of the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. The following entry presents information from 1989 through 2001 on the life and career of komunyakaa. Yusef komunyakaa, born in 1947, wrote both february in sydney and facing it. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 kingsley tufts poetry award, for neon vernacular and the 1994 pulitzer prize for poetry.
I turn that wayim inside the vietnam veterans memorial. I turn this wayim inside the vietnam veterans memorial again, depending on the light to make a difference. Read all poems of yusef komunyakaa and infos about yusef komunyakaa. The ravages of war and conflict are permanent, indelible.
Facing it by yusef komunyakaa poems academy of american poets. Yusef komunyakaa yusef komunyakaa poems poem hunter. Yusef komunyakaa uni scholarworks university of northern iowa. Nov 10, 2010 yusef komunyakaa the towers is a part of his book entitled warhorses written in 2009. First, the title is a clear summary of yusef komunyakaas poem. A summary and analysis of yusef komunyakaas facing it. He served in the united states army from 1969 to 1970 as a correspondent, and as managing editor of the southern cross during the vietnam war, earning him a bronze star. A summary and analysis of yusef komunyakaas facing it this post brings to you a summary and analysis of the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. Komunyakaa writes like a soldier commands direct and abrupt, detailing action and reaction as it is and as should follow. I turn that wayim inside 10 the vietnam veterans memorial again, depending on the light to make a difference. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 kingsley tufts poetry award, for neon vernacular and the 1994 pulitzer. In his poetry, yusef komunyakaa weaves together personal narrative, jazz rhythms, and vernacular language to create complex images of life in peace and in war.
Whats interesting about komunyakaa writing about war is that he is a veteran of war. It is a reflection on komunyakaas first visit to the vietnam veterans memorial. Connell 8 october 20 komunyakaa s poems of sorrow and guilt yusef komunyakaa was born in 1947, in bogalusa, louisiana. Born 1947 and raised in bogalusa, louisiana, komunyakaa served in vietnam as an information specialist, saw combat, and received the bronze star. Yusef komunyakaa poems, quotations and biography on yusef komunyakaa poet page. Youthcultureisrichwithpoetry,fromsonglyricsthatteensread. Pdf a conversation with yusef komunyakaa mena mitrano. This is a theme that is explored in the aforementioned peg lauber poem as well as in the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. Merge two facing pages with indesign graphic design. Facing ita poem by yusef komunyakaa in honor of american.
Thesis statement on facing it, by yusef komunyakaa. A vietnam veteran, he did not write about the war until more than a decade after returning to the united states. Facing it is a poem that encapsulates numerous themes and points of view regarding the vietnam war and related issues. Nostalgic memories in yusef komunyakaas facing it essay. The poem begins with the reflection of komunyakaa s face dissolving into the polished black stone as he stares into it for the first time. So its a pleasure to praise two successful recordings that feature extremely different africanamerican poets. Facing it suggests the ironic monumentalism of the wall as both a reflection and.
It was 14 years after the war that he finally wrote the poem. You must include the viewpoints of the two essays, discussing how they agree and disagree with your own. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. The article offers poetry criticism of the poem facing it, by yusef komunyakaa. It is the purpose of this paper to explore the meaning of, and thematic import of, permanence in these two plangent war poems. Facing it by yusef komunyaa is a poem about vietnam. He has published nine books of poetry and teaches at princeton university. One of komunyakaa s most frequently anthologized poems, facing it was first published in his collection dien cai dau, 1988. Madhubuti, the founder of third world press and an important contributor to the black arts movement of the 1960s. Yusef komunyakaas facing it free essays, term papers. Yusef komunyakaa and facing it facing it is a poem that deals with the personal angst of the speaker, a vietnam veteran, who is visiting the vietnam war memorial in washington dc. Analysis of poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa owlcation.
In the merged document, i am seeing some boxes in place of text. Yusef komunyakaa was born in 1947 in the quiet mill town of bogalusa, louisiana. Every time that he is looking at the names on the memorial he is seeing his friends and himself fighting side by side. Nostalgic memories in facing it just as farmers brand their livestock in order to claim them as their own, humans do the same when it comes to important events. Facing the wall i turn this waythe stone lets me go. Yusef wrote the poem after returning home from vietnam. This one i have explicated differently than the previous posts. Through an analysis of the poetry of owen, komunyakaa, turner and mcdonald and research on the.
When reading the poem one can assume that komanuyakaa drew upon his own experiences in vietnam, expressing his hardship over a thirtyone lines. In komunyakaas poetry, the ethical and political aspects of nomadic cosmopoli. The old woman made mint candy for the children whod bolt through her front door, silhouettes of the great blue heron. Nostalgic memories in yusef komunyakaa s facing it essay 1499 words 6 pages nostalgic memories in facing it just as farmers brand their livestock in order to claim them as their own, humans do the same when it comes to important events. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa the creators conscience. What does the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa mean. May 06, 2009 here is a video of yusef komunyakaa reciting his poem, facing it, which is about the vietnam memorial.
Included as one of his works in dien cai dau, which shows many other faces of the vietnam war, komunyakaa s facing it is the second work shown in dien cai dau, as well as his second work that the poet had finished. The poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa is about a man who came back from war and is now dealing with the negative side of it. Yusef komunyakaas the towers in light of juliana spahr. There are no numbers because the devices seemed to interconnect in my mind. Feb 19, 2015 in the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa has lot of descriptive imagery stanzas that make you feel as if you are really there. The ever so controversial vietnam conflict, also known as the vietnam war. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa what lies within the text. Facing it has been widely anthologized in textbooks, in part because it deals so powerfully with the vietnam war. The favorite poem project a partnership among boston university, the library of congress and other organizations with major funding from the national endowment from the arts and the carnegie corporation of new york. The exsoldier finds himself staring his past in the face. Facing it is telling a story of a person who is visiting the vietnam war memorial. Yusef komunyakaa 1947 american poet and author of essays, interviews, and commentaries. The poem the towers is a direct response to the events of september 11, 2001 and has juliana spahr written all over it. Fonts facing it by yusef komunyakaa analysis biography.
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