VCCS Litonline Introduction to Literature English 112 (English Composition II)

Page = Appendix

  A Collaboration Between Two Students to Answer the Study Questions for This Module

Responses to Questions in “Understanding Poetry”

Shellie MacKenzie, July 13, 2000 and  Leroy Brace, July 13, 2000

NOTE:  Dr. Hibbison:  Leroy and I spilt the questions up per the instructions on the web page.  We then spoke on the telephone today (July 13) to discuss our answers and came to an agreement or compromise as to our answers.  The yellow highlighted answers were my initial answers.  Leroy’s initial responses are highlighted in blue.  The summary we came up with is italicized and underlined but not highlighted. 

3.1 What's going on in the poem?  The airman is speaking of his own death.

A ball turret gunner speaks of the harsh realities  of war . 

It is most probable that the airman has died but also feel perhaps the entire poem was a dream sequence and that is the reason for the constant references to dreaming.  Still another idea is that rather than the airman really being the speaker, an onlooker (or the person who cleaned out the ball turret) is speaking on his behalf about how horrific the sight of the ball turret was after the airman’s death.

3.2 What era in history is depicted?  1945, World War II. 1945, World War II.

The time period for this poem is 1945, World War II.

3.3 Who's speaking in the poem?  The ball turret gunner. The ball turret gunner

The speaker is most likely the ball turret gunner.

3.4 What is the speaker's condition? Why? The speaker is dead.  He was killed by cannon fire in Germany.  Deceased.  The end of the poem states that he was washed from the ball turret with a hose.   

It is most probable that the speaker is the ball turret gunner and that he is dead, killed by cannon fire in Germany because the end of the poem states he was washed from the ball turret with a hose.

3.5 How are readers supposed to feel about the speaker and the speaker's situation? Perhaps bad, but definitely proud.  The airman died a heroic and honorable death.

The attempt of the poem is to raise awareness of the harsh realities of war.  We are supposed to feel sympathy for the gunners who face almost certain death, and are quickly replaced, as if they were a broken cog in a wheel, without remorse by ‘the State.”

The attempt of the poem is to raise awareness of the harsh realities of war.  We are supposed to feel sympathy for the gunners who face almost certain death, and are quickly replaced, as if they were a broken cog in a wheel, without remorse by ‘the State.” In using the term “State” we are referring to the “powers that be” or the men who declare war.

4.1 Based on your reading of page 3 of the website and your own experience, what do readers generally learn from a first reading of a poem.  The first reading of a poem should give the reader the general gist of the author’s intent and a summary of the poem.  In this case, the reader should immediately realize the speaker is an airman and in the military.  The scene “painted” by the author with the location, airman, flight jacket, and ball turret dictates immediately that the poem takes place in WWII.

The first reading should generally give them the basis of the author’s message.  The poem may contain words or phrases that will require further research in order for the reader to fully grasp the author’s intent. 

The first reading of a poem should give the reader the general gist of the author’s intent and a summary of the poem and relay the basis of the author’s message. The poem may contain words or phrases that will require further research in order for the reader to fully grasp the author’s intent.  In this case, the reader should immediately realize the speaker is an airman and in the military.  The scene “painted” by the author with the location, airman, flight jacket, and ball turret dictates immediately that the poem takes place in WWII.

4.2 What could readers gain from re-reading a poem like "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner"? List as many valid ideas as you can.   Re-reading is essential to truly gain insight and understanding of any poem.  In order to get literal and suggested meanings the reader may have to read the poem several times. Re-reading this poem gives the reader the author’s thoughts on war, the readers thoughts on war, the speaker’s thoughts on war, and the thoughts of each on family, death, and birth, (the speaker left the world in the same way he came into it)

The author wants us to see the harsh realities of war, that things are not always as they seem, and life is fragile and can be taken away at any moment.

Re-reading is essential to truly gain insight and understanding of any poem.  In order to get literal and suggested meanings the reader may have to read the poem several times. Re-reading this poem gives the reader the author’s thoughts on war, the readers thoughts on war, the speaker’s thoughts on war, and the thoughts of each on family, death, and birth, (the speaker left the world in the same way he came into it).  The author wants us to see the harsh realities of war, that things are not always as they seem, and life is fragile and can be taken away at any moment.

6.1    List features of closed and open forms of poems that you see in “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner.”

Closed form poems follow a sort of protocol with alliteration, and/or rhyming schemes, etc.  whereas open form poems do not.  This poem is somewhere in the middle because of the alliteration the author uses to describe the airman’s flight jacket. He says the airman sat stiff and waiting until the sheepskin of his flight jacket froze.  Each line starts with a capital letter.  The author rhymes "froze" and "hose". But in contrast, the rhythm is irregular.   The author seems to be mirroring the confusion of the airman’s thoughts – “is he dreaming, is he home – no he’s at war, he’s dying” by using variations in theme with his poetry.

Open forms:  line breaks for emphases and irregular rhythms.

Closed forms:  Rhyme.

Open/Closed forms;  Imagery, speaker in a  situation, sensory description. 

Closed form poems follow a sort of protocol with alliteration, and/or rhyming schemes, etc.  whereas open form poems do not.  This poem is somewhere in the middle.  

Open form:  line breaks for emphases and irregular rhythms.

Closed form:  Rhyme, the alliteration the author uses to describe the airman’s flight jacket. He says the airman sat stiff and waiting until the sheepskin of his flight jacket froze.  Each line starts with a capital letter.  The author rhymes "froze" and "hose".

Open/Closed form;  Imagery, speaker in a  situation, sensory description. The author seems to be mirroring the confusion of the airman’s thoughts – “is he dreaming, is he home – no he’s at war, he’s dying” by using variations in theme with his poetry.

7.1 Is his mother dreaming about him?   Possibly, but this line references birth using the plane as the airman’s mother, the ball turret the womb and the washing out as the birth (or death).  Perhaps his mother hadn’t wanted him to go to war, perhaps she had feared he wouldn’t come home.  He may realize she was right and would be devastated by his death.

No.

No. This line references birth using the plane as the airman’s mother, the ball turret the womb and the washing out as the birth (or death).  Perhaps his mother hadn’t wanted him to go to war, perhaps she had feared he wouldn’t come home.  He may realize she was right and would be devastated by his death.

7.2 Is he daydreaming about home and mother?   Getting to their destination took some time as they traveled from England over the Channel to Germany, so perhaps he was daydreaming of home and his family and how peaceful and different his life had been prior to his enlistment, and how different the military had been than he had imagined.

He may have been daydreaming inside the turret and returned to reality when he “woke to black flak and nightmare fighter.” 

Getting to their destination took some time as they traveled from England over the Channel to Germany, so perhaps he was daydreaming inside the turret of home and his family and how peaceful and different his life had been prior to his enlistment, and how different the military had been than he had imagined when he “woke to black flak and nightmare fighters.” 

7.3 Was he sleeping and dreaming of home? It is also feasible that the entire poem tells of a dream that this gunner had or is having, as he is able to speak of things that had happened to him after his death:  “when I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.”

Getting to their destination took some time as they traveled from England over the Channel to Germany, so perhaps he was daydreaming of home and his family and how peaceful and different his life had been prior to his enlistment, and how different the military had been than he had imagined.

Perhaps the author has fashioned the entire poem into a dream sequence.  As if the ball turret gunner is so afraid of death or maybe he’s the replacement gunner that has witnessed the grisly details of the prior occupant of the ball turret and he has dreamt that that’s the way he will die.  The speaker is able to unrealistically speak of things that happened to him after his supposed death: “when I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.”

Another phrase that bears a closer look is "fell into the State." It might also cause questions—

7.4 Why is "State" capitalized? Does it mean his nation? Yes.  I believe the “State” is his nation.

State refers to his state of mind or his reality.  He fell back into reality when he was shot.  He realized his dream of home and peace and safety was merely that, a dream and that the reality he had chosen was to die heroically albeit horrifically thousands of miles away from his family and hope of safety.

State has a double meaning here.  State refers to his state or his national origin.  It also refers to his state of mind or his reality.  He fell back into reality when he was shot.  He realized his dream of home and peace and safety was merely that, a dream and that the reality he had chosen was to die heroically albeit horrifically thousands of miles away from his family and hope of safety.

7.5 In what sense did he "fall into" his situation? Did he enlist or get drafted? If he enlisted, did he have any idea what he was getting in to?  In the 40’s almost everyone enlisted, the speaker was no exception.  The Country was very gung-ho and promoted the war as a gallant and heroic mission for young men.  He enlisted but with dreams of heroism and serving his country.  He could never have imagined he would die 6000 feet in the air.

The phrase “from my mother’s state I fell into the state.” may be interpreted as follows:  At a very young age this man was drafted into the armed serves to defend his Country.  It felt to him that the time between resting in his mother’s womb to being enlisted was instantaneous.

We agreed to disagree on this one.

Still another phrase that stands out as odd, or "figurative language," is about waking up to "nightmare fighters."

7.6 Is he asleep dreaming of war?   No.  The term “Mother’s sleep” indicates his dreams were of more peaceful, calm things, war is neither.

The term “nightmare fighters” represents a rude awakening from his daydream.  He remembers why he is there and what he has come to do.

No.  The term “Mother’s sleep” indicates his day dreams were of more peaceful, calm things, war is neither.   The term “nightmare fighters” represents a rude awakening from his daydream.  He remembers why he is there and what he has come to do.

7.7 Are the fighter planes nightmarish because they aren't what he expected?

Or is it because he's so vulnerable in the turret? 

He saw the fighters as a nightmare because he realized that had come face to face with certain death inside the turret. 

Both.  He had not expected war to be this way – no one could imagine how horrific these men’s reality would be and being hunched down in this ball turret was almost like being a sitting duck.  The planes were and still evoke dreams of flight, perhaps a means to kill the enemy.  Most airmen probably had visions that their plane was their trophy to display.  Most had woman’s pictures painted on the side.  Due to the hype of the war and the beauty of the planes one would not normally look at any of the World War II planes and say “boy, that’s scary - I’m going to die.”

He had not expected war to be this way – no one could imagine how horrific these men’s reality would be and being hunched down in this ball turret was almost like being a sitting duck. The fighter planes were nightmarish because he realized that had come face to face with certain death inside the turret.  On the ground the planes evoke dreams of flight, a means to kill the enemy.  in the beginning most airmen probably had visions that their plane was their trophy to display.  Most had woman’s pictures painted on the side.  Due to the hype of the war and the beauty of the planes one would not normally look at any of the World War II planes and say “boy, that’s scary - I’m going to die.” But once the action began these beautiful planes turned into nightmarish vehicles of death.

8.1 Why is the tone of that last line so cold? The author is conveying the harsh realities of war.  When one man is killed inside the turret, he is soon washed out both from the turret and the memories of all involved in the war.  Another will take his place.   The scene of what that must have looked like was grisly.  It could be likened to putting an egg in the microwave and setting the temperature on high for 5 minutes.  The egg explodes to have everything spattered on the top, the sides, all around.  This poor airman was reduced to this spatter and he was washed away as if he was merely a mess to clean up, not a human being with dreams ambitions, plans for a future.  After the hosing down, the plane was then ready for the next round, business as usual.  

The author is conveying the harsh realities of war.  The scene of what that must have looked like was grisly.  It could be likened to putting an egg in the microwave and setting the temperature on high for 5 minutes.  The egg explodes to have everything spattered on the top, the sides, all around.  This poor airman was reduced to this spatter and he was washed away as if he was merely a mess to clean up, not a human being with dreams ambitions, plans for a future. After the hosing down, the plane was then ready for the next round, business as usual. Another will take his place.

8.2 Are we readers supposed to feel sympathetic to the speaker who has died in war?  Personally I am sympathetic to him, his family, his loss of innocence, but he did die honorably and heroically.

The writer’s aim is to raise awareness rather than evoke sympathy in his readers.

The writer’s aim is to raise awareness rather than evoke sympathy in his readers.  But is is impossible not to feel sympathy for him and others like him.

8.3 Given the use of words like "mother" and "belly" and "died" and "washed out," is it too far fetched to believe that the poet wants us to view war as a kind of abortion and those who die in wars as helpless victims?  I believe the poet views war as a senseless murderer of life, so it does seem to mirror abortion.  War is unfortunately a necessary evil or at least has proven to be a part of human existence.  As long as there are men there will be war.

Abortion is a relevant analogy.  The gunner sits in the round turret in a fetal position, like a child in his mother’s womb.  He never sees the outside of the turret again, as the baby will not see the light of day.  Once he perishes he is washed out of the turret with a hose, much like the cleansing of the mother’s uterus.

Abortion is a relevant analogy.  The gunner sits in the round turret in a fetal position, like a child in his mother’s womb.  He never sees the outside of the turret again, as the baby will not see the light of day.  Once he perishes he is washed out of the turret with a hose, much like the cleansing of the mother’s uterus.

9.1 Maybe war is worse than the "hell" to which it has been compared. Maybe the wars of the Twentieth Century suggest that the world is indifferent to us, to our death. Respond from the context of this poem or from your own perspective. Does indifference rule? Whether it’s the twentieth century or not war is war and war is hell. I don’t think it’s the world that’s indifferent, but some of the people in it.  The leaders who declare wars are sitting up on high giving the orders putting their own desire for power and winning above the worth of these lives that are taken to acquire these ends.

Whether it’s the twentieth century or not war is war and war is hell.  It’s not the world that’s indifferent, but some of the people in it.  The leaders who declare wars are sitting up on high giving the orders putting their own desire for power and winning above the worth of these lives that are taken to acquire these ends.

9.2 Alan Williamson suggests in "Jarrell, the Mother, the Marchen" (Twentieth Century Literature, Fall, 1994 [40.3]: 283-300) that if the ball turret on the plane is a womb image then maybe the reference to "earth" and its "dream of life" from which we awake to our mortality is also a kind of womb image--but the separation from this womb is destructive, not a birthing.  So maybe war and technology are not the only death dealers. Maybe life on earth is a death for which we feel grief and anger. Respond from the perspective of the poem or base your response on your own observations of life.  Life is hard and scary at times, but it’s also beautiful and full of new adventure everyday.  To feel sorry for ourselves for being given this gift is cowardly and selfish.  Life must end but we each decide what we do with our lives and how we live while we are on earth.  Jesus died on the cross for us so in retrospect any pain and suffering we endure while on earth pales in comparison and is only temporary anyway.

If you’re an optimist life is to be cherished, if you’re an optimist you feel that “life on earth is a death for which we feel grief and anger.”

Life is to be cherished and to feel anything else is self pitying and destructive.

The URL for this page is: http://vccslitonline.vccs.edu/ReadingPoetry/collab.htm