The poem Facing It by Yusef komunyakaa - Essay Example

number Analysis of the poem “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa Introduction The poem “Facing it” is an emotional piece of literature in which the author brings out the response of people regarding the memorial in Vietnam. It shows the retrospect that Komunyakaa has about the events in Vietnam, where he worked as a correspondent. In the poem, Komunyakaa attempts to reveal that while some things seem to fade away and disappear, they get connected to other things that give them a true and deeper meaning. These, despite providing the anticipated sorrowful meaning, bring about the feeling of pleasure and fulfillment instead. In this case, Yusuf visits the memorial in the full awareness that sorrowful memories would be brought back in “He’s lost his right arm” (Komunyakaa 28) to show a colleague’s injury. In this sense, therefore, it is revealed that incidences of the past, although they are gone and forgotten, can rekindle past sorrowful memories when the items associated with them are encountered and revisited. Therefore, though new accounts in life cover the past incidences and make people think that they have attained new emotions, sorrowful episodes in the past cannot be easily forgotten. Regardless of the efforts we make to put them away, they keep coming back from time to time when the memory is awakened. It is thus Komunyakaa’s visit to the Lin’s memorial a year earlier than the poem was written and that deeply shaped his experience in relation to the war. In this sense, therefore, it can be concluded that it is only when individuals revisit items that remind them of their past experiences that they realise the truth regarding happenings in the society (Komunyakaa 1-31). Memories Brought about by the Visit to the Memorial The poem talks about the reminiscence of a difficult period of war in the poem. Though he fights hard and is in constant conflict to leave these memories in his past, there are still some associated elements that unearth them. He in this case feels a similar pain like before. However, those who were not involved in the same occurrences appear not to share this same sad feeling. The poet is shown to be an African American when he says, “My black face fades” (Komunyakaa 1) to reveal his skin colour and the new emotions that set in. With this, a notion is created that it is mostly the African Americans that were fully associated with the memorial since they are the ones who suffered more. As such, it is through the poet's own identification with his ethnic identity that he is able to relate to the dark side of the memorial and the dark colour of the granite. Thus, it is mainly the similarities in colour that tends to depict the people who were associated with the memorial (Reddy and TuSmith 148). The poet, who is the persona, is shown to express a sorrowful feeling when he visits the Vietnams Veteran Memorial wall (Komunyakaa 11). He evokes emotions that show his grief and emotional toll brought about by his experiences during the war. As one of the survivors, he is not able to forget what they went through and put them behind him despite his efforts to overcome them. The ethnicity of the poet gives emphasis in, “My black face fades/hiding into the black granite” (Komunyakaa 1-2). Black in this sense is emphasised to make an association with his skin colour as well as that of the memorial. It thus presents the connection between him as a black American and the memorial. It thus brings about deep emotions that relate to his war experience. Thus, he can be shown to bear a feeling of disappointment towards himself with regard to his performance. It can be said to be as a result of his black identity, which is mentioned (Reddy and TuSmith 148). Nonetheless, Yusef makes an effort to reveal that the trials and tribulations experienced during the war cannot be easily forgotten. With this, a great disparity is noticed between the past struggles of the poet and the present emotional feelings. While in the past he is shown to be sad and worried, his present state seems more fulfilling and filled with contentment. In this sense, the stone, which is depicted not to be cold, is a deeper representation of an inspirational and emotional response with a meaning. It is for this reason that the poet confirms “I said I wouldn’t, / dammit: No tears” (Komunyakaa 3-4). However, although together with the granite memorial he shares the darkness and the blackness, a great difference that makes his memories immense is revealed. This is in the way that he can properly connect with the memorial while it cannot share the feelings. It is revealed in his statement, “I’m stone. I’m flesh” (Komunyakaa 5), where he realises the difference between him and the stone. In this case, although he tries to be strong, as revealed by the hardness of stone, he notices that he cannot control his emotions since he is only human (“Facing it by Yusef Komunyakaa” par.5-6). As opposed to the hope of obtaining a new feeling, the memorial only serves to create memories in the mind of Yusuf. As such, it is indicated that no new emotions are developed. The old emotions, which he has kept on fighting in vain for a long time, are the ones that keep recurring. It is for this reason that he keeps struggling with the memories to make his emotions internal. This is the reason why he keeps reassuring himself that he is stone and hence strong like the granite in the memorial. Despite the connection that he tries to create between him and the granite, he still fails miserably to suppress his past feelings and emotions. This is when he realises that there exist major differences between him and the granite. In particular, he comes to the realisation that he is flesh and thus human unlike the stone, which is cold. From this, he hence realises why the granite stone has the capability of representing a pain that it cannot feel directly. Moreover, he attempts to control and struggle against his emotions. In this attempt his attitude is gradually transformed as his perception about himself and his surroundings. It is shown when he sees the memorial and is hit by its true meaning, therefore confessing “My clouded reflection eyes me/ Like a bird of prey, the profile of night/ Slanted against morning” (Komunyakaa 6-8). Conclusion Thus, although the faces belonging to the African American fade, they only vanish into the rock of the granite in the memorial, thus becoming a single entity. As indicated in the poem, the granite, which is a reminder of past occurrences, cannot hide the real happenings. As such, although memories of a particular sorrowful past can be covered over time, those things that are related to them often create a reminder. Moreover, they may make an individual to accept and embrace some realities, which had not been obvious to him in the past. Works Cited Komunyakaa, Yusef. “Facing it”. Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d.Web. 2 May 2013. Reddy, T. Maureen, and Bonnie TuSmith. Race in the college classroom: pedagogy and politics. New Brunswick, N.J.: London Rutgers University Press. 2002. Print. “Facing it by Yusef Komunyakaa.” Teacher’s Domain. WGBH Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 2 May 2013. Read More