My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of night slanted against morning. 3 interactive class activities to energize your online classroom This poem, one of Komunyakaa's most famous, depicts a veteran's encounter with the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Advertisement. I'm stone. Brushstrokes flash, a red bird's wings cutting across my stare. I'm stone. Yusef Komunyakaa 2001, used by permission of the author and the publisher. In the black mirror a woman's trying to erase names: No, she's brushing a boy's hair. I turnthis way—the stone lets me go.I turn that way—I'm insidethe Vietnam Veterans Memorialagain, depending on the lightto make a difference.I go down the 58,022 names,half-expecting to findmy own in letters like smoke.I touch the name Andrew Johnson;I see the booby trap's white flash.Names shimmer on a woman's blousebut when she walks awaythe names stay on the wall.Brushstrokes flash, a red bird's wings cutting across my stare.The sky. Copy to clipboard Copied. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Yusef Komunyakaa, “Facing It” from Pleasure Dome: New and Collected Poems. The free tracks you can enjoy in the Poetry Archive are a selection of a poet’s work. Despite his resistance, the speaker becomes emotional at the stone wall, which is polished to a mirror. "Facing It" is a poem by American poet and author Yusef Komunyakaa. The Poetry Archive is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. I'm flesh. During the poem, he reflects on his thoughts from the war while he was at the Vietnam Veteran Memorial. Both of these styles of writing utilize enjambment. Copyright © 1988 by Yusef Komunyakaa. Komunyakaa was inspired to write the poem following a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial some 14 years after his time as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Click the icon above to listen to this audio poem. Reflecting on his experiences, Yusef expresses his conflicting feelings about the Vietnam War and his feelings about how racism has played a part in America’s history. I'm stone. The sky. Facing It - Yusef Komunyakaa. Facing It - My black face fades, My black face fades, - The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. My clouded reflection eyes me. Facing It. All rights reserved. Facing It, from Pleasure Dome: New and Collected Poems (Wesleyan University Press 2001), ? Facing It," by Yusef Komunyakaa talks about a war which most, if not all Americans are familiar with. © Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038, like a bird of prey, the profile of night. I'm stone. My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey, the profile of night slanted against morning. 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. Yusef Komunyakaa published "Facing It" in his 1988 collection Dien Cai Dau. Registered No. My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. I'm flesh. Sept. 11, 2020. Inspired by the monument, Komunyakaa confronts his conflicted feelings about Vietnam, its legacy, and, even more broadly, the part race plays in America. I said I wouldn't, dammit: No tears. A white vet's image floats closer to me, then his pale eyes look through mine. I'm flesh. My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. He's lost his right arm inside the stone. History Norton Anthology War & Conflict. The black wall of the memorial evokes all kinds of war-torn images from the violent past which are full of agony and pain. A plane in the sky. Facing It. 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 … My black face fades, Hiding inside the black granite. Facing It. I'm flesh. The lines cut off in unexpected places and one must move quickly from line to line to follow the narrative. I said I wouldn't, Dammit: No tears. I turn this way – the stone lets me go. ‘Facing It‘ by Yusef Komunyakaa is a 31 line poem that does not adhere to any particular rhyme scheme or strictly metered pattern. Reprinted by permission of Wesleyan University Press. I'm flesh.My clouded reflection eyes melike a bird of prey, the profile of nightslanted against morning. ... Yusef Komunyakaa was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana. It is a poem in which the writer uses imagery and figurative language to express his feelings and his thoughts. I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to find my own in letters like smoke. My black face fades, hiding inside the black granite. Home. An Emotional Response to the Vietnam Memorial Yusef Komunyakaa emphasizes his ethnicity at the very beginning of his poem "Facing It" in the first lines: "My black face fades,/hiding inside the black granite." 4336052. Poems. Yusef Komunyakaa Yusef Komunyakaa And A Summary of Facing It Facing It is a poem that deals with the personal angst of the speaker, a Vietnam veteran, who is visiting the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. Blog. Facing It. 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. My black face fades,hiding inside the black granite.I said I wouldn't,dammit: No tears. Komunyakaa has composed this poem by alternating between short choppy lines and longer, drawn out phrases. We’re always adding to the Poetry Archive so sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with the latest archive news, events and releases. I said I wouldn't, dammit: No tears. I touch the name Andrew Johnson; I see the booby trap's white flash. 1093858. Names shimmer on a woman's blouse but when she walks away the names stay on the wall. Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved. It is a reflection on Komunyakaa's first visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.Komunyakaa served in Vietnam and was discharged from the Army in 1966, during which time he wrote for army newspaper Southern Cross.It is the second poem written by Komunyakaa about Vietnam. “Facing It” is a poem by Yusef Komunyakaa. I turn that way – I'm inside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial again, depending on the light to make a difference. 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. I'm stone. Explore. He expresses his strong emotions towards the Vietnam War because he was a veteran. From Dien Cai Dau by Yusef Komunyakaa. I said I wouldn't, dammit: No tears. "Facing it" by Yusef Komunyakaa deals with the themes of memory, war and survival. Create a clean and professional home studio setup; Sept. 10, 2020. In the black mirrora woman's trying to erase names:No, she's brushing a boy's hair. Our catalogue store includes many more recordings which you can download to your device. Facing It Yusef Komunyakaa. In these lines, the word "black" has been repeated twice, in reference both to his own skin color and the color of the memorial. I'm a window. The ever so controversial Vietnam Conflict, also known as the Vietnam War. I'm a window.He's lost his right arminside the stone. In “Facing It,” only the second poem he’d written in retrospect about Vietnam, Komunyakaa’s response to his war experience is deeply shaped by his visit, a year earlier, to Lin’s memorial. Yusef Komunyakaa - 1947-. A plane in the sky.A white vet's image floatscloser to me, then his pale eyeslook through mine. This poem was very well written, and I respect all that was said in the context of the poem. Facing It Lyrics. Share Poem. Charity No.

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