The poets deal with the theme of cruelty in war in a number of different ways for example in Levertov’s 'What were they like?’ it uses lingual devices to show how the life of Vietnam has dramatically been altered. “…can say? It is silent now.” It’s showing us that after the war everything is silent. There is no more singing. No more dancing, ceremonies and laughter. All these things are what make up life so it’s saying that there is no more life after the war. On the other hand, 'Vultures' uses a different technique. It uses language to show how humans can turn like animals. “..Fumes of human roast cling rebelliously to his hairy nostrils.” The harsh sounds (fumes, roast, rebelliously) reflect the negativity of the theme. It’s a metaphor linking the commander who had “fumes of human roast...” to a vulture who “picked the eyes of a swollen corpse… …and ate the things in its bowel”. Both of the quotes written here give the audience a disgusting mental image. This revolting image highlights to us the cruelty and ghastly torture of war. It makes the audience think that if the commander at the camp acted like an animal that eats humans (‘human roast’), then he must have treated the inmates appallingly; more inferiorly than animals.
The structure of 'What were they like?' is in a question and answer form; “1) Did the people of Vietnam use lanterns of stone?
- Sir, their light hearts turned to stone. It is not remembered whether in gardens stone lanterns illumined pleasant ways.”
Clearly it’s obvious that the top part is by a reporter, or by somebody who doesn’t know about Vietnam and the bottom part is by somebody who has lived the life of someone in Vietnam. The reader suspects that this part is from a soldier as we can sense sorrow in the tone of his answers. Nonetheless 'Vultures' shows us that there are two sides to war. For example, “strange indeed how love so particular will pick a corner in that charnel-house and tidy it and coil up there and perhaps even fall asleep, her faced turned to the wall!”
Also, “that grants even an ogre a tiny glow worn tenderness encapsulated in icy caverns of a cruel heart or else despair…” This is Achebe reinforcing the meaning of the fact that people can be loving and evil at the same time.
In both poems, they use many writing techniques. For example in Levertov's 'What were they like?’ it uses the dreamy poetic technique effect of “moths in moonlight”. This is showing us that the Vietnamese people used to live in peace and tranquillity and due to the effects of war Vietnam is in constant conflict and violence. All the words like ‘charred bones’, ‘killed’, ‘bombs smashed’, ‘scream’, ‘moths in moonlight’, ‘silent now’ give us awful psychological images of the horrors that we can only imagine going on. Similarly, personification is a great technique which Achebe uses to create a personified effect to things which we wouldn’t think of as human, “strange indeed how love so particular will pick a corner in that charnel-house and tidy it and coil up there and perhaps even fall asleep, her faced turned to the wall!”. This quote is personifying how love is a “she” and how “she will pick a corner” and “tidy it up”, “fall asleep with her face turned to the wall”. This quote illustrates how even though there is cruelty in war there is still a tiny bit of love there.
In 'What were they like?', Levertov's feelings do come across the poem as we can tell that from the war in Vietnam she feels like war can destroy a whole culture. On the contrary, Achebe shows an indication of the fact that even though war is a disastrous thing, some people can still have love, friendship and affection.
