Home Based Learning

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


Task 1:

Although this poem depicts the war that happened in the past, Hubert's poem "Rainbow Death" shows a modern day ingredient of warfare, Agent Orange. Agent Orange is a code name for herbicide and defoliant used by the US military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War. Hence, from this source of information, we can tell that the poem that Hubert wrote was about the Vietnam War. It reminds us that the war may not be over even when it is over.

Hubert Wilson is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the United States Air Force security service. Together with a dozen or so intelligence school graduates, they prepped for about 14 months at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas. They were sent to Vietnam or other places in Southeast Asia in 1970. About half of them ended up in the 6924th Security Squadron, Da Nang, which is an Agent Orange hotspot. The rest of them were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska along with the 6984th Security Squadron, which was a far more contaminated environment than Da Nang. After staying there for about 18 years, he started to have unexplained headaches and limb pains. His central nervous system radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches, progessive limb pains etc. No doctors have been able to diagnose the illness. Since his brain is still functioning moderately well although he has mobility issues, he has decided to turn to writing.

Agent Orange is a code name for a herbicide and defoliant used by the US military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam war. From 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was the most widely used in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production, dioxins were produced as contaminant, which caused numerous health problems to millions of people exposed to it, thus reminding us readers that war is still not over.

This poem speaks of a modern day ingredient of warfare that has caused appalling death and suffering, not only to the Vietnamese, but even the USA themselves, which means both sides are affected. Agent Orange is contaminated with TCDD, which is very dangerous. During the war, about 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, with 500,000 children born with birth defects.



http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange
http://y09hci0406.blogspot.com/
http://literatureisnotabore.blogspot.com/2010/05/rainbow-death-analysis.html
http://mon-aime.blogspot.com/2010/05/analysis-of-rainbow-death.html

Task 2:

1. Point of View

This poem is written from the point of view of an American soldier, who had experienced the Vietnam War personally. Hubert Wilson experienced the war and the pain of war, thus this written poem is a primary source which could be biased.

2. Situation and Setting

The setting of the poem is during the Vietnam war, where America had resorted to using huge amounts of "Agent Orange" spray. The effects of the “Agent Orange”, which are herbicide and defoliant, have lasted until today.

3. Language/ Diction

Metaphor/ alliteration – Pink, purple and other colors death potpourri. The repetition of the sound of the short and harsh “P” leads your imagination to the blast of explosives, creating the setting mood of the poem, which was Vietnam War.
“Potpourri” used in this context is also a metaphor. The definition of potpourri is a mixture of dried petals and spices placed in a bowl to perfume a room or
a mixture or medley of things. Thus, in my opinion, it is referring to American army attacking North Vietnam by producing herbicide and defoliant of different colours and components to destroy Vietnam's forests, which were hiding places and strongholds for the Viet Cong.
Rhythm – Between the line and the subsequent one. Rhythm allows the reader to read more fluently in such a manner that seems to link the whole poem up and to be read in one voice.
(e.g. foresee/ potpourri, price/ twice, unborn/ mourn, dead/ spread and astray/ pay/ spray) Use of capital letters – WILL “Pink”, “purple” and “potpourri” are alliteration. The word “WILL” is written in capital letters to stress the importance of the result of the Americans’ actions, which is generations untold “WILL” pay. It catches the eye of the reader so when the reader reads the word, they would tend to hold and drag the word longer, seemingly criticizing America.

4. Personal Response

War is does not just last for the period of time, because there are aftermaths to the war. In the context of the poem, it is the “Agent Orange” that had aftereffects on the people such as "illness, birth defects and prematurely dead" and not to forget Cancer. The future generations will also be nonetheless affected and will suffer the punishment of their forefathers. Based on my knowledge of other wars, Hiroshima and Nagasaki had later effects on Japanese such as radiation that led to Cancer. Thus, this shows that war is indeed destructive to the society and we should do our best to promote peace and prosperity between countries and prevent having wars, as it only hurts innocent lives. In order to understand more on this poem, the best thing we could do is to read up on the background of the poem, since the background is in war and we could not travel back in time to suffer the ordeal and I am sure too that no one would be willing to torture themselves. Definitely, those who had endured wars surely had stronger feelings on this matter, thus being able to appreciate the poem more.

Term 2 Lesson 4: War - Living Hell

Dear diary,

The war was simply disastrous. Ghastly white buildings were smeared with dirt and lined with cruel cracks, transforming into a shabby and monstrous devil, resembling a genuine living hell; Paved and clean roads were suffocated with thick layers of rubble, resulting from the destructive explosives, bombs and cannons; The beautiful sky was obscured with the depressing mass of tiny dust, turning its head in disgust and disappointment to human’s uncivilized behavior…

However, what was left paled into insignificance in contrast with what brave and vigilant soldiers like us suffered. Mental distortion, physical damage, aftermath effects, last but not least, heartbreak due to the loss of loved ones… Those who endured the torture and ordeal of the war may be considered as strongest of men, but they themselves do not – after so much suffering they have gone through, they would only see themselves proud for securing and protecting their countries, or lucky, or maybe only relieved, since so many had died in the whole process of protecting their hometown, and yet only little people who mourned over the dead bodies. The dead do not have their kin and relatives by their sides when their eyes lids were closed – or maybe not, since many died in regret and remorse.

The blinding flash of light, the exploding burst of heat, the excruciating pain, and the crying sound of people and the dejected and solemn faces – all are still vivid in my memories. I still could see the gaunt and weathered face of my teammates, and I still remembered how we gone through the difficulties when at last, one by one they subdued to the war. Looking down at my amputated right arm and stitched stomach, I felt a shiver down my spine, and at the same time, the memories seem to come alive, haunting me.

A grenade was thrown mercilessly at me, tearing out pieces of flesh and bone in a shower of red, and my arm… so this was the hard facts of life?

I still considered myself lucky, just from the mere fact of surviving the war.