What is happening here?What do you think the title of this poem will be?

‘Kamikaze’ Beatrice Garland

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

Quick contextKamikaze pilots were Japanese volunteers who offered to give their lives to destroy the enemy (in short a WW2 suicide bomber). 1. Why would these pilots volunteer/agree to

take their own lives?2. What do you think will be the content of the

poem, based on your knowledge?

Soldier’s / Kamikaze Pilot’s oath1. A soldier must make loyalty his obligation.2. A soldier must make propriety his way of

life.3. A soldier must highly esteem military valour.4. A soldier must have a high regard for righteousness.5. A soldier must live a simple life.It is an ancient Samurai ritual to commit suicide if you dishonoured yourself or your country – this is called Seppuku. Seppuku involved taking a knife or sword and stabbing yourself in the stomach, disembowelling yourself in the process. (This occurred in WW2, soldiers would rather kill themselves than be captured if the battle was lost)

Click the pic for a reading

What is the poem about?

• A kamikaze pilot• Flying on his mission during WW2• Recounts images of natural beauty• Changes his mind – returns home where

everyone is ashamed

Structure

• 7 regular stanzas – reflects strict routine of military

• Free verse – creates a serious tone. Represents the lack of freedom the pilot has in his mission.

• Enjambment – The poem flows quite rapidly and represents the movement of a kamikaze plane as it flies downwards.

Her father embarked at sunrisewith a flask of water, a samurai swordin the cockpit, a shaven headfull of powerful incantationsand enough fuel for a one-wayjourney into history

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

Almost sounds pleasant / sense of achievement and pride at making history – They will never be forgotten

K-pilots would carry a sword if they were captured – but to commit suicide “fall upon sword”

Double meaning – gets on a plane / going on an adventure

Part of a ritual to prepare themselves

Implies death

Soldiers shaved their heads as part of a ritual to demonstrate their readiness

but half way there, she thought,recounting it later to her children,he must have looked far downat the little fishing boatsstrung out like buntingon a green-blue translucent sea

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

Change in tone here His experiences only interpreted by others – The pilot does not have a voice

Simile – associated with celebrations – encourages him to consider what he may miss out on…

Model verb “must” creates a bond between the pilot and narrator – shows sympathy

and beneath them, arcing in swatheslike a huge flag waved first one waythen the other in a figure of eight,the dark shoals of fishesflashing silver as their belliesswivelled towards the sun

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

“swivelled” recalls the fatal spiral pilots used to hit their targets

Simile – “flag” – The pilot’s patriotism being questioned in this mission

The narrator suggests that such natural beauty may have discouraged the pilot from completing his mission

The repetition of ‘s’ and ‘f’ sounds create pace and could mimic the motion of the aircraft.

and remembered how heand his brothers waiting on the shorebuilt cairns of pearl-grey pebblesto see whose withstood longestthe turbulent inrush of breakersbringing their father’s boat safe

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

Cairns – pile of stones/pebbles that acts as a memorial or (safety/direction for walkers)

Returning home safely? Not applicable for this soldier.

Reminder of the pilot’s childhood

Lack of punctuation – the pilot recalls childhood memories which overtake his ability to complete his mission

“turbulent” and “safe” – contrasting vocabulary show the turmoil and confusion of the pilot

– yes, grandfather’s boat – safeto the shore, salt-sodden, awashwith cloud-marked mackerel,black crabs, feathery prawns,the loose silver of whitebait and oncea tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

Why is this in italics? What is it talking about?

Sibilance gives the effect of being read like a nursery rhyme – why is this significant?

How does this stanza link to the theme of conflict?

Unpredictable? How does this relate to the pilot?

Alone, removed from the rest of the group.

Why does the narrator highlight the natural beauty witnessed by the pilot?

And though he came backmy mother never spoke againin his presence, nor did she meet his eyesand the neighbours too, they treated himas though he no longer existed,only we children still chattered and laughed

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

Why are most of the last two stanzas in italics?

Change of tone - What does the “And though” reveal?

Why is it only the children will talk to the pilot?

What is the conflict in this chapter?

Tension – Is the mother embarrassed, disgusted by his actions?

Ashamed

till gradually we too learnedto be silent, to live as thoughhe had never returned, that thiswas no longer the father we loved.And sometimes, she said, he must have wonderedwhich had been the better way to die.

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

Last line: Huge impact!Would it have been better to kill himself in the war than to return to this life?

What has happened here? Why has it happened?What is the deeper meaning / underlying theme?

The modal verb ‘must’ creates a bond between the pilot and the narrator. There is a hint of desperation in the tone as though the narrator wants the reader to also show him mercy.

Commas used to stop the poem on purpose – The children not speaking to the father anymore

Tragic tone at the end

Now you know the poem, on the piece of A4 in front of you, I want you to comment on one of the central themes in the poem.

Focus on one part of the poem and explain it in detail – pick out the imagery in the language and explain the effect on the reader.

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

You can choose to comment on…

1. Conflict2. Death3. Power4. (Your own theme!)

How does the writer present your chosen theme? (Consider the use of poetic techniques and imagery included in the poem)USE QUOTES – EXPLAIN THEM!

KQ: How does the poet approach the themes of power, conflict and death?

LO: To explore the themes of conflict and power in ‘Kamikaze’.

KAMIKAZEMake your A4 into a paper aeroplane!

Catch or pick up the closest plane

I will be picking people at random to read what is on their aeroplane.

Get ready to add ideas /annotations to your copy of the poem.