The Soldiers in Poem Analysis Essay

Nguyen’s overall idea that “All wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory” creates the impact that war can leave physical and emotional tolls on those who experience it. Tim O’Brien’s short story “The Things They Carried,” portrays the physical weight that all the soldiers need to carry to stay alive. Most of the soldiers carried other items that were extra to make them feel safer. Walk Whitman’s poem, “The Wound Dresser,” demonstrates the emotional burdens that the dying soldiers in the Civil War have on a nurse as they express all their pain and suffering. The speaker truly cared about these soldiers and that impact stays with you forever. Yousef Komunyakaa’s poem “Facing It” talks about how once you leave war it stays with you. The speaker believes that he lost a part of himself when he was in the Vietnam war and has never been the same since. Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” Walk Whitman’s “The Wound Dresser,” and Yousef Komunyakaa’s “Facing It” develop Nyguen’s idea by illustrating that no matter how long it has been, war is unforgotten and lingers within the memories and dreams of those who experienced it.

O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” expands Nguyen’s idea by using the repetition of Ted Lavender’s death to create the impact that soldiers die and are never forgotten by those who feel responsible and guilty for their deaths. The short story begins with First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross who carries letters from a girl named Martha, whom he loved but she belonged in another world. This woman distracted him from paying attention to his soldiers to keep them alive. The story creates a long list that explaines that every soldier carried items that were unnecessary but kept them feeling safe. The first mention of Lavender’s death was how “they used his poncho to wrap him up, carried him across the paddy, then to lift him into the chopper that took him away” (O’Brien 2). The diction of “wrap him up” emphasizes that these men still cared for Lavender to make sure he was not left alone, he got to return home and had the funeral he deserved. They keep listing extra tools carried; Ted Lavender carried 34 rounds of ammunition and when he died he had 20 pounds of ammunition, a flak jacket, a helmet, and an unmeasurable amount of fear. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was daydreaming about Martha when Lavender was shot in the head. He died because Cross was more focused on a one-way love than on his friend's life. And because of  that, he felt the emotional burden of Lavender’s death. Guilt. Shame. After his death, he realized that Martha did not love him and never would. Then again Lavender's death was mentioned once more. This explanation gives details about the situation along with a back story. The soldiers were supposed to clear a tunnel dug by Vietnam soldiers. While most were focused on the soldier in the tunnel, Lavender went off to use the bathroom. After the man got out of the tunnel and as Lavender was coming back to the group, he was shot in the head. And when someone was explaining his death “Lieutenant Cross found himself trembling” (O’Brien 19). The word choice of “trembling” conveys that Cross deeply cares for his soldiers and when one is lost he feels the guilt. Once he realized she did not love him, he decided to burn Martha’s letters and forget about her because if he didn’t, someone else could be killed.

Whitman’s “The Wound Dresser,” uses the repetition of his dreams and memories to create the idea that memories of war are unforgettable with the good and the bad. The poem begins with the doors of dreams and memories of a volunteer nurse in a hospital during the American Civil War. This nurse is walking down the rows filled with soldiers losing “their priceless blood [while it] reddens the grass” (Whitman 9). The diction of “priceless blood” creates the impact that this nurse cares for these soldiers and that he wants them to survive. Even though the sight of all the soldiers in pain normally would make people run away, this man was there to help. He finds a poor boy wilting in pain when going row by row. Suffering. The nurse would sacrifice his life to let this young boy live his expected life. He then sees a man with a bullet through and through his neck still alive but waiting for death to end the pain. The nurse moves between rows thinking to himself  “Come sweet death! be persuaded O beautiful death!” and the thoughts mean that the nurse could separate his emotions and feelings from the task at hand (Whitman 24).  He wants this man to die and relieve all feelings instead of suffering from the pain and screaming in agony. The nurse cared for these soldiers, especially when “ a soldier’s loving arms about [his] neck have cross’d and rested, /Many a soldier’s kiss dwells on [his] bearded lips” (Whitman 45-46). The diction of “cross’d and rested” illustrates the idea that the soldiers wanted to repay him for all that he had done to help everyone feel safe. This nurse who was just a volunteer was never able to forget all the sights seen in that hospital.

Komunyakaa’s “Facing It” uses metaphors and imagery of some visitors to clarify that soldiers can never escape their past and that some may feel stuck in the war forever. The speaker is a Vietnam War veteran who visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the first time. He begins to fade and “[hide] inside the black granite” which makes him feel trapped and that a part of himself was lost in the war (Komunyakaa 2). He feels like a walking corpse. Lost. Without a soul. Depending on where he stood, he could see his reflection on the wall which symbolizes that he believes he died along with fallen soldiers. When he looks at the “58,022 names” on the wall he finds one familiar name. “Andrew Johnson” (Komunyakaa 17). This name re-establishes the memory of the booby traps and the white flash that happened while his friend died. The veteran finds a man who “lost his right arm,” which means he lost part of himself in the war (Komunyakaa 28). This helps explain that every soldier or civilian has a different experience when looking at the wall. Some people can walk away from the wall easily, but others can’t leave without bringing the memory back with them.

All war stories are important because they carry an emotional impact that most readers will not experience in their lifetime. The stories create serious imagery that transfers readers into the lives of war heroes. They bring sights to life that change a person depending on the scenario. O’Brien’s short story, Whitman’s poem, and Komunyakaa’s poem explain the seriosity of death. These war stories reveal the truth. Most people think all war stories are bad, but some bring out the good times of war that can change a person's perspective.