Here you will find detailed summary notes for "Kamikaze", including: (1) a short summary of the text, (2) analysis of the language/form/structure, (3) a list of key quotations with some analysis (4) background context. I hope that you find this resource useful.
Story
• The poem opens with a kamikaze pilot setting off on his mission.
• It becomes clear that the pilot turned around and didn’t complete his mission – his daughter imagines that this was
because on the way he saw the beauty of nature and remembered his innocent childhood.
• The pilot was shunned when he got home – even his family acted as if he wasn’t there.
Structure
• The first 5 stanzas form one sentence, which covers an account of the pilot’s flight as the pilot’s daughter
imagines it.
• The final 2 stanzas deal with the fallout of the pilot’s actions.
• As the poem progresses, the sentences get shorter, emphasising the diminishing positivity.
Language
• Irony: There are ironic reminders of how the pilot has abandoned his mission. The way he’s treated when he
returns to his family is ironic because they act as if he’s dead, even though he chose not to die.
• Nature: Similes, metaphors and detailed descriptions are used to emphasise the beauty and power of nature. The
pilot’s daughter hints that this beauty was one of the main triggers for his actions.
• Direct Speech: The addition of direct speech makes the poem seem more personal. Hearing the daughter’s voice
emphasises the impact of war on a specific family.
• Patriotism: The opening stanza is full of suggestions of patriotic pride and duty – the pilot has the chance to fly
“into history”. The patriotism of his family and neighbours is shown in their reaction to his return – they treat him
as if he’s dead because he has failed in his duty to his nation.
• Regret: The pilot’s daughter’s words in the final stanzas are tinged with a sense of regret and loss. The repetition
in lines 9 and 41 of “he must have” also hint at her empathy with the pilot.
Form
• The poem is mostly narrated in the third person using reported speech of the pilot’s daughter, but her voice is
heard directly in the later stanzas.
• The other perspective is from the mother – these perspectives relate the pilot to his family, making the poem
more personal.
• The use of multiple perspectives adds to the confusion, reflecting the confusion of the pilot.
• The absence of the pilot’s voice shows that he’s been cut off from society and the use of the third person
emphasises the distance between the pilot and daughter.
• The poem is written in free verse, representing memory and thoughts.
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