Themes 2
English Lit: AQA GCSE Poetry - Power & Conflict, topic 13.1.3
Irony
There is a strong sense of irony in the poem – although the pilot returns alive, he has still suffered a death of sorts. This creates sympathy for the plight of the pilot and the fact he can't escape his fate. Garland uses these techniques to bring out the irony:
Imagery
- “And remembered how he / and his brothers waiting on the shore / built cairns of pearl-grey pebbles”.
- The contrast between this innocent image and the pilot's fate creates a tone of sadness.
Simile
- “Strung out like bunting”.
- This simile is a positive image with connotations of celebration. This is ironic given what the pilot is about to do.
- Perhaps it symbolises life and joy and acts as a reminder to the pilot of what he is leaving behind. This makes his fate even more tragic.
Family and Childhood
The allure of childhood is a key theme in the poem. The poet presents memories of childhood as something that lures the pilot back from his mission and triggers his change of heart. We also see how duty affects family relationships. Garland uses these techniques to explore these ideas:
Italics and aside
- “yes, grandfather’s boat”.
- This phrase is italicised and said in an aside (a comment to the audience not heard by the characters).
- The aside hints at the complexity of family emotions. It suggests that the speaker now feels able to speak freely about her father. The italics potentially show her excitement at being able to mention his name.
- The italics may also show the speaker’s desire to make sure that positive ideas about her father are instilled in the minds of her children, in a way that they were not instilled in her.
Imagery
- Images of innocence and childhood are designed to make us empathise with the pilot's decision to go back.
- E.g. “and remembered how he / and his brothers waiting on the shore / built cairns of pearl-grey pebbles”.
- The enjambment (sentences flowing over the end of lines) could reflect the way the pilot was caught up in those memories as he was looking down.
Test yourself on Themes 2
How does this quote contribute to the irony in Kamikaze?
“And remembered how he / and his brothers waiting on the shore / built cairns of pearl-grey pebbles”What techniques are being used in this quote from Kamikaze?
“yes, grandfather’s boat”Which of these is NOT a technique being used in this quote?
“...and remembered how he / and his brothers waiting on the shore / built cairns of pearl-grey pebbles”