Task 2

Complete the template provided in Annex A, focusing on (1) Point of View; (2) Situation and Setting; (3) Language/Diction; and (4) Personal Response, and post your response to Task 2 on your blog. This template is based on John Lye’s ‘Critical Analysis of Poetry’, and you can make reference to this in Annex B when in doubt.

In this poem, Hubert is an American soldier during the Vietnam War who wanted the war to stop and was strongly against modern warfare.

1. Point of View

The writer could foresee the impacts of Agent Orange and was writing in a harsh tone that criticizes the Americans of their mistake in releasing the chemicals and causing grave consequences.

Evidence: First stanza line 1 where the poet wrote “America did not foresee”.

Elaboration: This shows that the speaker had felt infuriated by the devastating impacts of ‘Agent Orange’ used by the Americans during the ever-lasting Vietnam War, resulting many generations to be affected. Perhaps, the speaker was an American soldier who had experienced the war before, hence, he was able to see the dire consequences of modern warfare on the innocent people.

The poet also felt that the Americans were the "root of all evil" and they were the reason for why there were so many casualties and consequences in the millions of people.

Evidence: In second stanza line 8, the poet wrote “Nefariously America led astray”

Elaboration: The speaker felt that the actions of the Americans were brutal and inhumane as they had caused many deaths and harmed the younger generations, and this drove America into a state of confusion as it was being regarded as a "top murderer" and without any directions, America walked on aimlessly and was led astray.
In addition, due to the fact that the Americans wanted to win the Vietnam War badly, invokes them to use the highly dangerous ‘Agent Orange’ on the Vietnamese, however, they were unable to foresee the consequences caused by the use of ‘Agent Orange’ themselves.

The poet also had a "Pro-life attitude"

Evidence - "Toll on the innocent and unborn."

Elaboration - The writer feels that war itself actually punishes more than what it should. Apart from just soldiers whose lives are sacrificed in war, innocent people and unborn fetus were also killed in war by the use of 'Agent Orange'. This expresses how the writer compares the severity of the American's mistake with innocent beings, thus the pro-life attitude.


2. Situation and Setting

- Emotional
"Toll on the innocent and unborn."

The poet emphasizes about the negative impacts of war by relating to the depression of the innocent people who were killed in the midst of war, therefore he focuses on emotional conflicts by conveying them through harsh words like "toll" which is a pun for death (:

- Saddening
“Generations untold WILL pay”

The situation was very saddening and helpless as the poet felt that the modern warfare used in the war would only cause more harm on the younger generations who would suffer a lot. Thus, this shows the sadness and cruelty of war on the innocent ones. By emphasising on "WILL", he was firm and sure that the people of the next generations will pay for all the consequences and aftereffects of the chemicals due to the mistake of the Americans and also shows his attitude towards the Americans - A sense of deep hatred and disappointment.

3. Language/Diction

-“Potpourri”

“Potpourri” means a mixture of materials or substances.
In this poem, ‘potpourri’ is used to refer to the large-scaled mixture of deaths caused as a result of war, thus showing the devastating impacts of warfare on the people and how serious the consequences were.

-“Toll”

“toll” means a payment or price that people have to pay.
However, in this poem, the writer uses toll here - “toll on the innocent and unborn” which shows the sacrificial of innocent lives in the war and depicts the pessimistic view of war where there were massive deaths. Thus, by using toll in the sentence to refer to the sufferings and sacrificial of lives, he forms a kind of irony because the innocent did nothing wrong yet they had to pay a heavy price with their lives.


4. Personal Response

From this poem, ‘Rainbow Death’, it made me reflect quite a bit and that the opinion of the writer that war is brutal and harsh, and will only bring unhappiness, sufferings and even deaths is matter-of-factly very true. In a war, as both sides tried to achieve victory, they will resort to anything that is able to defeat their enemy. However, this will only cause more harm to the innocent ones. In this poem, the Americans, being driven by the desperation of defeating Vietnam, resorted to using the ‘Agent Orange’ and bombed villages and cities in hopes of killing Vietnam troops but as a result, innocent villagers and children had to pay a huge price and even affected generations.

In addition, I share the same sentiments with the poet that the cruelty of war will resulted in many sacrificial of lives and that war should be considered as a last alternative to settle disputes and they must learn that ‘wars aren't over when wars are over’, meaning that war will cause dire consequences even if it has ended.



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