HBL online work

RAINBOW DEATH

America did not foresee

Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!

Expecting others to pay a high price.Now thinking twice?

Toll on the innocent and unborn.Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.

Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.

All the deceit continues to spread.

Nefariously America led astray -Generations untold WILL pay –

Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Hubert Wilson

HBL Task 1

Background Info

Reference: http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow

http://www.lewispublishing.com/orange.htm

This poem “Rainbow Death” is written by Hubert Wilson. He had been a Vietnam War veteran same like his brothers who served in the USAF Security Service. He participated in the Vietnam war which was a fierce battle between the communists in Vietnam and USA along with non-communists in Vietnam. The Vietnamese fought fiercely and used unforeseen tactics against the American armies, it was a nightmare for the American armies. There were lots of bloodshed and the war was considered as one of the most terrifying battle in America History. Not only that it costs thousands of soldier’s lives, it was also engaged in Herbicidal Warfare – A modern warfare that can heavily affect people’s health. And Hubert Wilson was one of the victims. During the Vietnam War, he accompanied with his friends were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska. Unfortunately, the place was highly contaminated and after a period, he started to have symptoms like headaches and limb pains which cannot be explained. Doctors were unable to indentify his health problem. As days flew past, his healthcare got worse and worse and finally he was not able to move. In his later life, he then turned to writing poems and books due to his mobility issue.

The conflict represented in the poem is the use of a modern warfare that involves herbicide and intoxicated chemicals which is the “Agent Orange”. Agent Orange is a kind of gas weapon used by the US military during the Vietnam War. They started this program when the Vietnamese used a guerilla tactic which they hid in the dense forests and ambushed the Americans. That tactic was repeated and many American soldiers were dead because of that, thus they launched a program which is the Herbicidal Warfare. It caused a lot of horrible and painful deaths of the Vietnamese, also the Americans that came contact with it. The Agent Orange is so intoxicated that it caused 400,000 deaths and disabilities. It also affected the next generation, 500,000 children were born with birth defects. The answer to why is it so incredibly harmful is because it contains TCDD that can cause different kind of diseases, and some of them may lead to death.

HBL Task 2

1. Point of View

This poem was written in first-person point of view by a former American soldier – Hubert Wilson. It is written from his perspective which sufficiently create a clear imagery to the readers. This poem conveys his feelings and thoughts towards the herbicidal warfare America used during the Vietnam War. The way he express his sympathy towards the victims gives an insight of his character. He most probably had experienced the horrifying war and suffered from the effect of herbicide chemical. He shows a great disapproval of America using the herbicidal warfare which had caused lots of trauma and torture to the innocent victim. It is evident from the poem “America did not foresee, Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!”. This shows that America did not consider the effect of the herbicides. And also “Nefariously America led astray –Generations untold WILL pay” shows the seriousness of such warfare and America should take the responsibility and always take the weapons used in consideration seriously.

2. Situation and setting

The situation described in the poem is terrible and harsh. The poem portrays the Agent Orange as a kind of herbicide weapon that creates a lot of destruction not only to the victim but also the side – America who releases it. The usage of Agent Orange have killed a lot of innocent Vietnamese victims and the effects was unexpected. At first America tried to take revenge on the Vietnamese, and conduct ways to make them pay. But on the other hand, they did not foresee that their actions will subsequently create more destructive and sufferings to themselves as well. To make matter worse, the following generations will also be affected. It was a great massacre of the innocents. America had to bear the consequences which the “generations untold WILL PAY” , because of the America abuse their power and authority, it had created ongoing sufferings till now.

3. Language / Diction

The poem’s title is “Rainbow Death”, this indicated the different colors of herbicide which were supposed to counter the Vietnamese guerilla tactics which is the ambush from forests. With the usage of herbicides, millions of people died under the horrible effects of agents. Thus, it’s called the “Rainbow Death”. The poet’s tone seems angry and is blaming the America for the destructions it caused ,”Expecting others to pay a high price, Now thinking twice?”. America wanted Vietnamese to pay back, however in the end even its own people also affected and involved in the sufferings and pains caused by those herbicides. The poet express its feelings of depress and sympathy with usage of words like “toll” to describe the number of deaths and casualties in the war. “Innocent and unborn” also further emphasizes the “execrable” effects of Agent Orange. Overall the poet’s language shows a great disagreement against the use herbicidal warfare and hope America will learn from this disaster.

4. Personal Response

I personally feel that this war has open the mind of people. I think since we are all humans and live on the same planet, why must we start a war? We should always solve problems and misunderstandings between each other peacefully and avoid disruptions. Even though war make two parties suffer greatly in both mental and physical, people still want to involve in war. Isn’t that very ironic, it is like walking into a dead end that leads to nowhere and in the end the innocent people have to bear the consequences and suffer. Hence, we must learn to walk in other people’s shoes and understand each other to avoid such disaster to happen again.