J's Musings

-Vikram Seth

Analysis and Themes…

-Janx 🙂

The poem relates to the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An attempt at capturing the shock, horror and gore that came over people in those sudden moments where their lives changed forever.

The poem narrates how a doctor has just woken up and is supposedly planning on having a good day. When he sees a few flames in the distance, he can barely figure out what they are before feeling a heavy explosion and having himself stripped of everything except his own body and a wife. Soon we are introduced to the gore and horrors that could have been at the time.

Analysis:

The poet mentions the day being a warm and beautiful one, full of leaves and shimmering shadows, and the doctor enjoying it right before the explosion. In a moment everything changes forever. I believe it reflects how quickly life can change, how suddenly crisis can affect a person and their whole being. The splinter jangling from a mangled thigh gets pulled out without any reaction. It could mean the rest of the pain was so high, he didn’t have time to think of that small ache. Or it could be that he was so surprised the shock didn’t let him think of any pain caused. While trying to run out with his wife, he trips over a dead man’s head. He can’t seem to react to it, no shock or horror or fuss, only fear, that they could be next. They see houses coming down with a heaving sigh and no moment for dying words. He wants to help, but upon reflection no means of doing so can be found. A symbolization that sometimes, wanting to help is all you can do. There isn’t always a way…

Naked [in more ways than one] he sits on the street and can find no way of feeling shame, despite being ashamed of that very fact. He is offered a towel by a soldier [how it survived is a mystery], but any way of using it cannot be found. The legs dried with blood, probably a thick layer, rebel and he asks his wife to go ahead, mostly towards the hospital. As she leaves, he feels lonely. Once again, in that moment, he is back to what he was born as. Naked, thoughtless, alone and bloody. It’s a full circle and the line that continues after the ending of a circle; remains lonely.

Upon seeing the shadowy forms of people, he quickly describes them as ‘ghosts and scarecrows.’ Scarecrows refers to how they walk with arms that stick out, but ghosts can have two meanings. One referring to the almost dead appearance or to the fact that most were already dead. They had accepted that they would die any moment so well, that they were as good as dead already, just ghosts, trying to hold onto some poor imitation of life and hope and survival.

Lastly, we see almost everyone is naked, children, men, women, young, old, you name them! The narrator can hear no words not even from those in extreme pain. Because most seem to be dead.

Themes:

The poem incorporates every emotion and experience that may have been felt during the moment of the bombing. Some themes in particular would be; The horrors of war. People naked, dead, mangled, sobbing all on the street with no arms to go to, and no home left to return to. Everyone is lost, hurt and dead.

Another theme is, that whenever ‘naked’ is mentioned, it could mean in more ways than loss of cloth. No body on that street has anything to hide, or hold as a differentiator.  Naked is stripped of all positions in society, money, prejudices and social statuses. A millionaire is no better than a homeless man, a doctor can do nothing an uneducated person can’t. The theme is of how sudden desperations ‘strip’ people of any material status.

Lastly, in stark contrast to what was expected; the doctor quickly digests the information of having had his life turned upside down. All in a moment’s period. But that helps him work out what to do in the situation and actually gets him through better than acting normal would. The realization and acceptance that nothing is as it was, makes surviving easier. Pretending will only hurt you more when there will remain no chance in being able to avoid reality [mentally].

Final Notes:

The poem is one based on rhythm, despite being a narrative. The rhyming scheme is aa, bb, cc. The style of writing reflects the thoughts of a logical yet emotional person, which is what a doctor stuck in a bombing affected area is expected to be. The narration is convincing and possibly based of an actual entry.

By,

Janx 🙂

Picture Credits: tasteslikedeath on Pinterest