Bruce Weigl´s Poems on Vietnam War - 874 Words

To this day the Vietnam War is still considered to be one of the most devastating wars in history and has been a topic of resentment to the American culture thirty-three years after its end. For the American public it’s marked as being the point in history where distrust in our government was at an all-time high, mainly because most of the war’s carnage was witnessed on television for the first time. For all the bloodshed American and Vietnamese soldiers suffered through, the war has left a perpetual mark not only on the United States but ultimately has left a permanent scar on the soldiers who fought and managed to survive the war. Renowned war poet, Bruce Weigl, like most young American men during the time was only nineteen when he†¦show more content†¦Weigl has dug deep into his recollection of the war to produce work that can be thought of as artistically beautiful. It’s his aim to find the means, despite everything he’s endured, to transcend misery in his poetry. This is done on purpose and allows Weigl to employ a style in his poetry that’s dependent on the sound of words, to express an image so openly that the verses depict a genuine emotion that doesn’t pose as an insult to readers. Underneath the rubble of his misfortune there is a level of integrity on display that readers can appreciate. Weigl likes to view the world objectively and so does his poetry in a very responsible and accountable manner. A portion of the poetry created by Weigl illustrates a gap between generations. The general belief is that the United States sees what happened in Vietnam from a distance, but for those living in Vietnam it completely altered their lives. Another excerpt from Weigl’s memoir expresses this as he reveals the story of a woman he’d met in Vietnam. Titled, â€Å"Her Life Runs like a Red Silk Flag† illustrates exactly just how twisted and merciless war can be. The poem introduces Weigl rec eiving water from a woman who said she had seen her childhood village bombed by planes. She didn’t blame him and in her mind she viewed that uneventful day as a horror that will perpetually haunt her for life but Weigl responds clarifying that the real horror is digging inside of him as he writes, †there aren’t any words that canShow MoreRelatedThe History of the Vietnam War Essay2391 Words   |  10 PagesThe Vietnam War started in 1945, resulting in almost 60,000 American deaths and nearly two million Vietnamese deaths, according to Mintze. Years after combat countless Vietnam veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder in every aspect of their lives (Price). Posttraumatic stress disorder is an illness that can happen to anyone who has gone through a horrifying experience. It has been documented in all forms of literature and films the brutality of the war and the side effects it came withRead MoreShort Essay on Vietnam Ptsd2629 Words   |  11 Pages Essay The Vietnam War started in 1945, resulting in almost 60,000 American deaths and nearly two million Vietnamese deaths, according to Mintze. Years after combat countless Vietnam veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder in every aspect of their lives (Price). Posttraumatic stress disorder is an illness that can happen to anyone who has gone through a horrifying experience. It has been documented in all forms of literature and films the brutality of the war and the side effects