Facing it by yusef komunyakaa is a 31 line poem that does not adhere to any particular rhyme scheme or strictly metered pattern. Im looking for the stanza by stanza analysis of facing it poem by yusef. Born in bogalusa, louisiana in 1947, yusef komunyakaa was the first black man to win a pulitzer prize for poetry 1994. One powerful poem is facing it by yusef komunyakaa about visiting the national vietnam veterans memorial in washington, d. Komunyakaa was born in the conservative rural south on the cusp of the civil rights movement. He served in the united states army from 1969 to 1970 as a correspondent, and as managing editor of the southern cross during the vietnam war, earning him a bronze star. Previously cities included bloomington in and princeton nj.
It was 14 years after the war that he finally wrote the poem. This study guide for yusef komunyakaa s facing it offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Komunyakaa began writing in 1973, after achieving his bachelors degree university of colorado springs. The fifth section lists selected secondary sources on komunyakaa and his work. The son of a carpenter, komunyakaa has said that he was first alerted to the power of language through his grandparents, who were church people. From 1969 to 1970, komunyakaa served in vietnam as a correspondent and managing editor for the military newspaper southern cross, work that earned him a bronze star. The poem is inspired from the experiences of the poet during the vietnam war, where he worked as a correspondent and managing editor of a.
Chad gracia is a theater producer, dramaturge, and consultant specializing in the geopolitics of the middle east. Yusef komunyakaa is known as a jazz poet, a southern writer and a soldier poet. He has published nine books of poetry and teaches at princeton university. He was also a charter member of the fellowship of southern writers. Analysis of facing it by yusef komunyakaa cruel and terrible events forever leave a mark on our memory.
Facing it by yusef komunyakaa poems academy of american poets. Yusef komunyakaa has 64 books on goodreads with 167 ratings. A summary and analysis of yusef komunyakaas facing it this post brings to you a summary and analysis of the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. Historical and literary context for yusef komunyakaas facing it. Facing it my black face fades, poet yusef komunyakaa first received wide recognition following the 1984 publication of copacetic, a collection of poems built from colloquial speech which demonstrated his incorporation of jazz influences. It is a reflection on komunyakaas first visit to the vietnam veterans memorial. A vietnam veteran, he did not write about the war until more than a decade after returning to the united states. Books by yusef komunyakaa author of neon vernacular. Facing it is a poem by american poet and author yusef komunyakaa. Komunyakaa has composed this poem by alternating between short choppy lines and longer, drawn out phrases. Yusef komunyakaa born april 29, 1941 is an american poet who teaches at new york university and is a member of the fellowship of southern writers. This poem was very well written, and i respect all that was said in the context of the poem. He has won the pulitzer prize for poetry and been awarded the ruth lilly poetry prize. Both of these styles of writing utilize enjambment.
Feb 15, 2008 yusef komunyakaa is known as a jazz poet, a southern writer and a soldier poet. In the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa, the three images that i can describe their figurative and literal meanings are when the poet talks about the black face fading in the black granite, the women wiping away a name with her hand and lastly the name of the title. The seven oclock whistlemade the morning air fulvouswith a metallic syncopation. The following entry provides an overview of komunyakaas career through 1994. He is a recipient of the 1994 kingsley tufts poetry award, and the pulitzer prize award for his book, neon vernacular. Fourteen years after the vietnam war, veteran and contemporary poet yusef komunyakaa wrote about facing the vietnam veterans memorial wall and the memories and images the wall evoked. The poem begins with the speaker facing the black granite wall of the memorial. The poem is inspired from the experiences of the poet during the vietnam war, where he worked as a correspondent and managing editor of a military newspaper. For further information on his life and works, see clc, volume 86. Thus, they return home with the cumbersome burden of the nostalgic horrors that they have endured. New and selected poems wesleyan poetry series komunyakaa, yusef on.
Facing it is a poem that encapsulates numerous themes and points of view regarding the vietnam war and related issues. Analysis of facing it by yusef komunyakaa essay example. Yusef komunyakaa, 72 trenton, nj has court or arrest. He has written numerous books of poems including neon vernacular 1994, for which he received the pulitzer prize and the kingsley tufts poetry award. Poet yusef komunyakaa first received wide recognition following the 1984 publication of copacetic, a collection of poems built from colloquial speech which demonstrated his incorporation of jazz influences. An interesting one for the civil war is the blue and the gray by francis miles finch circa 1900. Jasmine by yusef komunyakaa poems academy of american. In 1999 he was elected a chancellor of the academy of american poets. Finally, facing it takes on the issue of its own relevance, asking what contributions literary criticism can make in. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa a video of the poet reading his poem, analysis, and teaching tips. This was done for english iii honors class, and was used in a presentation. In this video segment from poetry everywhere, komunyakaa reads his poem, facing it at the dodge poetry festival. Yusef komunyakaas poem glory sends a message to readers that a small communal game between players can ultimately alleviate their stress about their workaday lives and hopefully help them survive the new week. Facing ita poem by yusef komunyakaa in honor of american.
The poet, who received the bronze star and edited the southern cross, dedicates this book to his brother glenn, who saw the nam before komunyakaa did. The first line of the poem, my black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. Yusef komunyakaa was born in 1947 in the quiet mill town of bogalusa, louisiana. His grandparents were church people and he has said in interview the old testament informed the cadences of their speech. Literary analysis of yusef kounyakaas facing it bartleby. I imagine his behaviour was interpreted in a variety of different ways depending on ones gender or social status.
The ever so controversial vietnam conflict, also known as the vietnam war. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. A summary and analysis of yusef komunyakaas facing it. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of night slanted against morning. Yusef komunyakaa poems poems of yusef komunyakaa poem hunter. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. In the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa, the author uses first person narration, metaphor, simile, images of light and darkness, personification, allusion and word connotation in order to convey to his detached audience the intimate. May 25, 2014 yusef komunyakaa, the author of the poem facing it, was born in bogalusa, louisiana on april 29, 1947. This saturday morning in june, i have sawed 2 x 6s, tsquared and leveled everything with three bubbles sealed in green glass, and now the sweat on my tongue tastes like.
Robert penn warren april 24, 1905 september 15, 1989 was an american poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of new criticism. Reflecting on his experiences, yusef expresses his conflicting feelings about the vietnam. I go down the 58,022 names58,022 names the number of names of dead soldiers etched on the wall at the time of komunyakaas composing of this poem. Apr 08, 2011 moreover, playing a sport can solve varieties of problems teenagers are facing.
In the past, yusef has also been known as yuser komunyakaa, musef komunyakac, komunyakaa yusif, komunyakaa yusef and komuntakaa yusef. In the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa, it is about a vietnam veteran who goes to the vietnam memorial wall in washington d. Use of imagery and figurative language in facing it by yusef komunyakaa in his poem, facing it, yusef komunyakaa describes his ambivalent emotions towards the vietnam war of which he was a veteran. Learn about the different symbols such as stone in facing it and how they contribute to the plot of the book. Yusef komunyakaa is a professor in the creative writing department at new york university. C so that he could visit and read the names of his fallen comrades.
Yusef komunyakaa is 72 years old and was born on 04291947. Though he spent much of his tour of duty in the field, witnessing combat and reporting. He received the 1947 pulitzer prize for the novel for all the kings men 1946 and the. Throughout this poem, there are 3 images that i felt had a stronger literal and figurative meaning behind this poem. It is the policy of ncte in its journals and other publications to provide a fo. April 1947 in bogalusa, louisiana ist ein us amerikanischer. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa favorite poem project. My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 kingsley tufts poetry award, for neon vernacular and the 1994 pulitzer prize for poetry. Yusef komunyakaa, original name in full james william brown, jr. This fivepart bibliography lists komunyakaa s primary works in poetry and prose, as well as the books he has edited or coedited and the cds on which he performs.
Facing it by yusef komunyaka by danilsa ynfante on prezi. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa that english teacher. Planet 24 production produced a video on the vietnam veterans memorial. Yusef komunyakaa s libretto, testimony, and the humanity of charlie parker select bibliography memories and the vietnam war experience in yusef komunyakaa s dien cai dau biography about facing it the poetry of yusef komunyakaa. Yusef komunyakaa s poem facing it is an emotional journey to the vietnam veterans memorial in washington d. Yusef komunyakaas facing it free essays, term papers. Facing it, by yusef komunyakaa talks about a war which most, if not all americans are familiar with. Light is significant in facing it because it influences the reflections of the persona. Nostalgic memories in yusef komunyakaas facing it essay. The poem begins with the reflection of komunyakaas face dissolving into the polished black stone as he stares into it for the first time. Click download or read online button to get facing it book now.
I have almost nailed my left thumb to the 2 x 4 brace that holds the deck together. Facing it by yusef komunyakaa, read by michael lythgoe foundation director, washington, dc, as part of the favorite poem project. Especially, when these events are directly related to person, the memory reproduces every second of what happened. Like in the sixth and seventh line when he says i turn this. Poem hunter all poems of by yusef komunyakaa poems. The poem is about the poet and his sense of loss of his identity. Poetry community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. An interpretation of yusef komunyakaa s facing it by nick vu, victor vo, and andrew hong.
According to, komunyakaa earned a bronze star for his service in the united states army during the vietnam war 196970. Yusef komunyakaas dien cai dau is another collection of vietnam war poetry. Yusef wrote the poem after returning home from vietnam. An essay or paper on use of narration in the poem, facing it. The following entry provides an overview of komunyakaa s career through 1994.
It is a reflection on komunyakaa s first visit to the vietnam veterans memorial. Facing it in 360 degrees of text in this activities, students focus on the emotional shifts within the poem. Learn all about facing it, ask questions, and get the answers you need. A vietnam veteran turned poet, yusef komunyakaa, writes about such an instance in his poem facing it. Yusef komunyakaas most popular book is neon vernacular. Yusef komunyakaas poem facing it describes a vietnam war. Yusef komunyakaa received the bronze star for his service in vietnam, where he served as a correspondent and managing editor of the southern cross. Schedule subject to change without notice last updated may. Son of a carpenter he was raised in a house of few books at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Connell 8 october 20 komunyakaa s poems of sorrow and guilt yusef komunyakaa was born in 1947, in bogalusa, louisiana. In the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa the author uses great imagery that has both literal and figurative meaning behind them. Phenomenal woman, still i rise, the road not taken, if you forget me, dreams. How to be productive at home from a remote work veteran.
Feb 19, 2015 in the poem facing it by yursef komunyakaa talks a lot about people facing war and guilt and sorrow. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the. Yusef komunyakaa poems poems of yusef komunyakaa poem. Facing it by yusef komunyaa is a poem about vietnam. On april 29, 1947, yusef komunyakaa was born in bogalusa, louisiana, where he was raised during the beginning of the civil rights movement. Audio recordings of classic and contemporary poems read by poets and actors, delivered every day. Use of imagery and figurative language in facing it by.
He served in the united states army from 1969 to 1970 as a correspondent, and as managing editor of the southern cross during the vietnam war, earning him a bronze star he began writing poetry in 1973, and received his bachelors degree from the. In the poem facing it the poet yusef komunyakaa describes what he faced during the war all the guilt and sorrow he experienced but then at the same time he is having a flashback of everything he also uses good imagery in the poem. Zeus has sometimes come across to me in the mythology as something of a buffoon, with all his philandering. Dien cai dau awesome and vivid vietnam poems professor yusef komunyakaa is just an awesome poet and is a member of the fellowship of southern writers. Feb 19, 2015 in the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa, it is about a vietnam veteran who goes to the vietnam memorial wall in washington d. A summary and analysis of yusef komunyakaa s facing it this post brings to you a summary and analysis of the poem facing it by yusef komunyakaa. Author of nine books and winner of a pulitzer prize for poetry, komunyakaa sets a. One of komunyakaas most frequently anthologized poems, facing it was first published in his collection dien cai dau, 1988. Author of nine books and winner of a pulitzer prize for poetry, komunyakaa sets a provocative stage by rejecting. Komunyakaa served in vietnam and was discharged from the army in 1966, during which time he wrote for army newspaper southern cross.
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