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Critical Analysis #1
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kaile
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Member Ascendant
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146
singapore

0 posted 2000-02-07 05:37 AM


Dead bodies on the streets
A heaven-sent gift to vultures,i'm sure
Rotting and decaying away
With no one to give them a decent burial

More than a million of my "brothers" killed
Struck down by senseless vioence
To eternity and nothingness
With their loved ones unable to share their joys with them forever

I wish this nonsense will end
Who ever heard of tigers eating tigers
Or leopards devouring their own kind
Or lions preying on themselves

So why do we kill our "brothers"?
When we should work towards an united nation
With everyone living together in peace and harmony

Alas, a bomb is approaching my way
I try desperately to hide away
To save my own insignificnt life
But the bomb explodes sooner than i run
And as i watch the bomb explode,
I find my life slipping away....


© Copyright 2000 heng kaile - All Rights Reserved
carolyn smale
Junior Member
since 2000-02-02
Posts 20
australia
1 posted 2000-02-07 09:08 AM


for a first poem, at a young age this is quite good.

i like the natural voice which breaks through in several places.

the simple lines are the best, although not new they sound right here -
"With no one to give them a decent burial"
"I wish this nonsense will end"

"So why do we kill our "brothers"?
When we should work towards an united nation
With everyone living together in peace and harmony" - probably a bit too preachy, could think of another way to say it.

don't really like the "" for "brothers"

the end's also too much! - i am guilty of the exact same end to a poem i wrote in my teens.

as i said b4 i feel a natural voice waiting to break out and you should have another look at this poem and see what you can make of it

have you read any of wilfred owen's poems on war? i think you'd like them.

thanks, carolyn.

jbouder
Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534
Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash
2 posted 2000-02-07 12:25 PM


Kaile:

This reminds me of an email I received from a friend in the Coast Guard while the UN was bombing Bosnia.  The email contained infrared video footage from a UN 500 lb. smart bomb.  The footage showed the glowing outline of a man running away from the building that was the bomb's target.  This footage was amusing to many but I couldn't shake the thought that the man on the video feed probably didn't survive.

I agree with Carolyn that this is a good poem considering your age while writing it and that it is your first poem.  I like the content.  You might consider rewriting it (I'm sure there are things you've learned through experience and practice that will make this read easier).

Thanks for the read.

 Jim

"If I rest, I rust." - Martin Luther


poetry_kills
Senior Member
since 1999-12-04
Posts 549
new orleans
3 posted 2000-02-08 03:21 PM


kalie: this is a very moving poem... i like the thoughts behind it and the way you develop it in the course of the work... i also agree with carolyn's advice and i'm sure with a little revision you can make this even better...

sincerely,
jerome the mysterious priest

 A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
~Coleridge



Trevor
Senior Member
since 1999-08-12
Posts 700
Canada
4 posted 2000-02-09 04:29 PM


This is sooo good. Really made me think of something!
kaile
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Member Ascendant
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146
singapore
5 posted 2000-02-12 02:15 AM


thank u for taking the effort to read this poem")i'm glad u all think that this is a not-so-bad poem for a 1st attempt..
i do agree that it is indeed a little bit preachy...but i do remember wanting to put across a message to the reader and what better way to put across this poem than the
straightforward method? do tell me if you agree or disagree in this case.")
to Trevor, i'm glad u like this but i do want to know what this poem made u think of....i'm deeply interested...
thank you everyone for their kind comments again.if u can spare the time,pls read my other poem "Betrayal"--which is my 1st post..

Brad
Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705
Jejudo, South Korea
6 posted 2000-02-13 01:08 AM


Well, I certainly agree that for a first poem, it is very strong. Nevertheless, you tell us too much on the one hand and too little on the other (huh, geez, Brad aren't you the one who always argues against vague comments?). In other words, you've let yourself explain too much of the general idea of violence. Loss is implied in any poem such as this so you don't need stuff like

More than a million of my "brothers" killed
Struck down by senseless vio[l]ence
To eternity and nothingness
With their loved ones unable to share their joys with them forever

Nor do I think you need the stanza on animals. Concentrate on the specific moment.

When I talk about saying too little, I mean that you almost seem to be avoiding what specific conflict you're referring to. What country? What time? This gives us, the readers, more to work with -- we're able to see what you mean more clearly.

But you do have a strong voice and I like the 'I'm sure' line in the first stanza as well as the 'nonsense' line.

Oh, one more thing, if the speaker dies at the end of the poem, who wrote this in the first person?  

Just an opinion,
Brad

kaile
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Member Ascendant
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146
singapore
7 posted 2000-02-13 02:59 AM


thank you,brad for replying.if u like to know,the original title of this poem is "A Cambodian's Tragedy".this was actually written in 1997 when Cambodia was having a war for one of my writing assignments.
i changed the title because i thought u all might be alienated since this incident happened so long ago

ciao and take care....

TQ all for your remarks...i shall work hard to make this a better read."):P

kaile
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Member Ascendant
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146
singapore
8 posted 2000-10-09 04:40 AM


recently, i have this urge to rewrite and redraft all the poems which i have written..will like to gather a few more comments before i make the necessary changes

thank you for your kind attention and time spent

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