Kamikaze

What happens?

A daugther recalls  how her father, a kamikaze pilot in WW2, was flying towards his target. As he got half way, he looked down and saw the beauty of nature below. He was reminded of his relationship with nature - specifcially how the sea returned his father (a fisherman) safely when he was a child. He returns home and is shunned by his family and community for bringing shame. The daughter ponders the question: which would have been the better way to die?

What's it about?

The poem explores the power of culture - specifically how Japanese culture values honour in life and death. The father changes his loyalty from his country to nature, which causes the moral conflict that makes him turn back. He loses all respect and his identity as a result of this decision. We see the power of propaganda, the power of nature, and the emotional devastation he sufferes as a result of a loss of identity.

Key Ideas:

• The power of propaganda: 'a shaven head full of powerful incantations' - 'incantations' are spells or messages which is a metaphor for the propaganda used to convince the pilots to carry out their…