Compare the and contrast the poems studied on

Year 11 Poetry Coursework

Modern Poetry

Compare the and contrast the poems studied on

“Violence in the Twentieth Century”.

No More Hiroshimas, James Kirkup

This poem is about the lasting effect the nuclear attack had on Hiroshima from the view of James Kirkup as he visits Hiroshima in 1960.

This is a long poem which has a very strange form. It has irregular stanza lengths and non-rhyming lines. Throughout this poem there are many changes in tone, the tone changes as his emotions build during the different verses. There is a change throughout the first verse as at first he is in shock as he suddenly realises where he is and then his tone becomes drabber as he sees his surroundings.

“I had forgotten to remember where I was. Looking about, I see it might be anywhere”, Here he has arrived and suddenly realised where he is and what has happened there. The way that if you came to Hiroshima without already knowing what had happened there you may not realise. The way everything at and around the station seems to throw him off but still he remembers. He then continues to talk about the area and speaks of the schoolboys looking at the nude picture books with “second-hand looks”. This means that they aren’t looking at it for real. They are seeing the lady through the camera lens. A picture taken in the past making their looks second-hand. James speaks about the boys and, “Fans of soiled nude-picture books” in a very belittling manner which portrays a kind of disgust.

The second verse is where his emotions first start to build as he talks about how the surroundings have become sordid with the lasting effects of the bomb. Paying particular attention to the river he makes good use personification. The use of repetition shows the effect the sight of the river has on him as he repeats,

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“The river remains unchanged, sad, refusing rehabilitation.” He’s trying to show here, how the officials have almost managed to cover up everything else but the river remains defiant, as if trying to save the memory of the atrocious event which took place. In the next three verses it is mainly the use of words which make an impact on the reader. Words or phrases such as, “A kind of life…tricked out…awful emptiness…jaded…dingy…doleful”. The main impacts here are where he says, “a kind of life” this seems to imply that the town will never truly recover from the events. Also the mention of Cinderella, her whole story was based on the cover up of her real life to turn her into a princess for one night, yet the cover up failed. This seems ironic, as James Kirkup is being critical of the way that the officials of Hiroshima have tried to cover up the destruction.

In verse six the constant use of words such as dead and dying makes the place seem empty and lonely. The left over air and stunted trees it seems as though this place is stuck in time where the trees don’t grow and the air stays still. Verse seven is more or less a bridge into the final full verse. This verse has an angry tone as his emotions peak and he releases them all in one outburst. Rather then saying, the bits of burnt clothing, stopped watches and torn shirts he chooses to emphasise each item to give them more meaning.

Conclusion

Using strong descriptive wording, creating powerful imagery this poem has a lasting effect. It leaves you thinking making you create your own opinion on the poem and the events of which the poem spoke. The last two lines, “Remember only these. They are the memorials we need.” Leaves a lasting impression and the most memorable lines. As he calms himself from the emotion of the previous verse he wants to leave you with a message or meaning for the poem. A very strong piece of writing.

Belfast Confetti, Ciarán Carson

This poem is about a riot in Belfast near the shipping docks. The poem is written as an account from the writer as he gets caught up in the events.