Term 2 HBL Task 2

Point of View

The writer offers a social point of view. As he personally experienced the devastating effects of America’s herbicidal warfare, his tone is angry and accusatory, as seen in the exclamations “potpourri!” and “spray!”, as well as the uppercase word “WILL”. He probably felt that he was “betrayed” by his own country after serving it for so long. As he is directly involved in what is happening in the poem, he is reliable in interpreting the situation. The purpose of the poem is to highlight the atrocities of the war and to evoke empathy for the victims of the war.


Situation and Setting

The historical setting is that during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971, during the herbicidal warfare program by the U.S. military. The tension is produced through the use of strongly negative diction such as “death potpourri”, “deceit”, “omnipotent”, “nefariously” and “execrable”, finally coming to the climax “Generations untold WILL pay”. This shows that there is no resolution to the conflict. The function of the setting is to reinforce the theme that the “wars aren’t over when the wars are over”.


Language/ Diction

Theme

The meaning of the poem is explicitly conveyed. The central idea raised is that “wars often last for years, and the effects reverberate for decades”. The poem’s theme is significant and universal in its application, in that the destruction caused by wars far outweighs its benefits.

Language

Figurative language is used, such as the metaphor “death potpourri”. “Potpourri” originally means a mixed collection of dried petals, thus signifying the confusion and chaos caused by all the “colourful” chemicals. The language is used to reveal the truth, thus it is quite explicit and straightforward. The strong diction used to criticise the indiscriminate acts of the U.S. military, together with the emphasis on certain words such as “potpourri!”, “spray!’ and “WILL”, is effective in conveying the meaning of the poem.

Sounds

The writer uses end rhymes such as “foresee” and “potpourri”, “price” and “twice”, “unborn” and “mourn”, “dead” and “spread”, as well as “astray”, “pay” and “spray”. The writer also uses the assonance of the long ‘o’ vowel sound, such as “potpourri”, “unborn, “mourn” and “orange”, which sounds like the crying, howling and mourning of the victims of the war.

Style and Tone

The writer’s tone is accusatory, thus making the mood of the poem heavy and serious. However, the title of the poem “Rainbow Death” carries a little irony, as instead of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there is death and suffering. This adds some bitter humour to the depressing topic of war.


Personal Response

What qualities does the poem evoke in you as a reader?

After reading the poem, I feel that though wars might be “glorious”, the after-effects of war are almost always detrimental. The rationale for fighting the Vietnam War is to “choose a great evil in order to ward off a greater evil”. However, is spraying innocent civilians with contaminants just?

What is your historical and cultural distance from the poem?

The distance between our world and the world of the poem may not be so distant. We are living in an age of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, where the decision of a political leader on the other side of the planet may take us all to the verge of universal destruction. This brings to question: Are wars even necessary?