The following is my E-Learning Assignment Task 2, a much closer analysis on the poem Rainbow Death by Hubert Wilson based on a template Ms Soh gave us.
Just for reference’s sake, here is the poem, again.
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!
1. Point of View
From how the poem very clearly reflects the “execrable effects of agent orange spray”, I do believe that this poem is written from the first-person perspective of someone who has a first-hand account of the devastating results of the use of Agent Orange. By being able to describe the effects of Agent Orange with accuracy and also being able to know that “America did not foresee” the harmful after-effects Agent Orange brought, we can assume that the poet, who is the speaker in the poem, is a war-veteran who was involved in the Vietnam war, and had personally at least seen the effects of Agent Orange.
2. Situation and Setting.
Very obviously, the poem is set after the use of Agent Orange, probably a couple of years later, for the poet does not just describe the immediate effects of Agent Orange on the people, but also its implications on future generations of Vietnamese children, like “birth defects “ and even being “prematurely dead”. The poet even goes on to say that the “deceit continues to spread”, telling us that the U.S government probably tried to continue hiding the truth about the effects of Agent Orange from the public, and was still doing so when this poem was written.
3. Language/diction
I found the title of the poem puzzling and ironical, for the two words “rainbow” and “death” are not commonly associated with each other. Rainbows are symbol of magical bridges between life and heaven, or at the least something vibrant and colourful, in contrast to the bleak reality of death. I do believe that the poet chose this oxymoronic title as a direct reference to the “rainbow herbicides” (details in the previous post), and showing how the name of this group of harmful chemicals, responsible for so many deaths in the Vietnam War, is ironical.
Another oxymoron in the poem would be death potpourri. Potpourri is actually either a mixture of dried petals and leaves from various plants that gives off a pleasant smell, or just an interesting mixture of things, both rather positive. However, it is once again associated with death, something bleak and negative, making it ironical. Right before this the colours green, pink and purple are listed, which can be assumed as reflecting the Agents Green, Pink and Purple, other herbicides part of the “rainbow herbicides”. Perhaps the poet is trying to say that the U.S Military had not considered the possible implications before using those biological threats.
4. Personal Response
After reading about the effects of Agent Orange and how “untold generations WILL pay” as described in the poem, it left me feeling rather disturbed and uncomfortable. The poet started with an ominous tone, how “America did not foresee”, before ending with an equally ominous one. Throughout the poem the poet fills my thoughts with images of death and suffering, and shows that the Agent Orange spray is the one responsible for all of it, thoroughly convincing me that the use of Agent Orange is inhumane, serving the poem’s purpose.
~Kevan
