Today, I will also be analysing the poem "We Slept with our Boots on". As this poem is ranked the toughest amongst the three, I thought it would be a pretty well crafted challenge and a good practice for the coming test next term :)
The poem, written by Steve Carlsen goes like this:
They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell
As task 2 should be a more complete analysis of the poem, I guess that would be the only task I would be doing for this poem.
Point of view
The persona in the poem is probably a war veteran, someone who has survived a war. The speaker is in a resigned state and he does not care very much anymore, as can be seen from the lines "30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit " and "You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more".
Situation and setting
The poem is located in a chaotic setting with war going on in the Hindu Kush. The term Hindu Kush on first sight, seems like some religion, but after some research, it was found to be actually a series of mountains.
Language/ Diction
The language and diction used in the poem portrayed a panic state, which seems realistic.
Since the first few lines, real terms are used like LZ which stands for landing zone, and lock N load which is a term soldiers use. With these, a realistic atmosphere is created, bringing the reader closer to the action. The language used also suggest the carefree attitude of the soldier, who does not care much after experiencing the war. From the lines "And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell" and "Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell", we can see that is does not really matter to the soldier anymore if he was sent to hell, as he just came from a war which was equivalent to hell. Saint Peter, who is the guardian to the gates of haven also appears in the poem, bringing some religious references. Besides that, the line "hell was so close to god" also brings that. This line shows that on the battle field, which is referred to as hell, is so close to god, as one could get killed easily here and sent to god right away, through "hell" one get get closer to god.
Personal response
I feel that this poem carries many lessons on the horror war could bring to not only those fighting it, but also those around the soldiers. It shows that although there are good and bad in this world, everyone is somebody son and no one should deserve the sufferings caused by war.
