How to Write a Poem in a Time of War The Poem\'s Argument PDF

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How to Write a Poem in a Time of War The Poem's Argument...

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How to Write a Poem in a Time of War The Poem's "Argument" Like “Fayetteville as in Fate,” “How to Write a Poem in a Time of War” is clearly making a point. However, it doesn’t just start with the point (unlike an academic paper where you’d expect a thesis to be stated right away). Let’s look at each section and how Harjo builds an argument. Answer: Section 1: from “You can’t begin just anywhere. It’s a wreck” to “for birds to live.” What's the main point of this section? How do you know? What specific details illustrate this point? What does this section add to the poem (i.e. how is it different from the ones that came before it?)? The first line of this stanza may refer to the poem as a whole and the war itself. Both the poem's structure and the war are messy and chaotic. The rest of the lines reinforce this idea by the speaker narrating about the destruction the soldiers have caused and its effect on the people and their surroundings. Section 2: from “No, start here” to “A story in which we’d always be slaves.” What's the main point of this section? How do you know? What specific details illustrate this point? What does this section add to the poem (i.e. how is it different from the ones that came before it?)? I believe Harjo is describing how happily and peacefully the villagers were living and were satisfied with whatever was available to them. They would enjoy the scenic beauty and cook with one another. This also suggests that the villagers already knew that they would be attacked but they pretended that no war would happen. Also, that the soldiers had started to capture their land and their demands were increasing. They fear that they and their children will consistently be treated as slaves. Outsiders have always considered them as their slaves and the enemy do not want them to grow but instead live under dread and their rules under colonization. I also feel that this stanza describes how the villagers already knew that they would be attacked and the war would happen, but they remained strong and tried to avoid the whole situation for as long as they could. This was because they did not want their children to lose hope or accept defeat in any way. Section 4: from “No!” to “next to their father and me.” As I see it, this section is about how the war has become somewhat familiar and perhaps the speaker doesn't want their family and friends to be more disturbed by the war. In the section "Terror had become the familiar stranger" shows that families and friends are quite familiar with the war situation and perhaps very tired of it. This section possibly illustrates the feelings and the

wounds that these people are going through. It's different from other parts because other parts talk about how the effects of war will be on the next generations....