example essay on kamikaze

Kamikaze ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem - printed in full - and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems are a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages of the poet 
• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
• How do these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Beatrice Garland’s poem 'Kamikaze', from the Power and Conflict anthology. It includes:

• Overview : a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s Methods : an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context : an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
• What to Compare it to : ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Kamikaze is part of the Power and Conflict anthology of poems, and the exam question asks you to compare the ideas presented in two of these anthology poems, specifically related to the ideas of power and conflict. 

It is therefore as important that you learn how Kamikaze compares and contrasts with other poems in the anthology as understanding the poem in isolation. See the section below on ‘What to Compare it to’ for detailed comparisons of Kamikaze and other poems in the anthology.

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell
• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Garland’s intention and message

Kamikaze in a nutshell

Kamikaze was written by the poet Beatrice Garland in a bid to explore the reasons why soldiers choose to, or are asked to, die for their country. Garland’s poem Kamikaze presents the perspectives of both the kamikaze pilot  and his daughter to show their different ideas about conflict.

Kamikaze breakdown

“Her father embarked at sunrise

with a flask of water, a samurai sword

in the cockpit, a shaven head”

Translation

• The poem begins by reporting an event from a daughter’s perspective: a father leaves on a journey
• The speaker  mentions a list which details the pilot’s belongings and the ritualistic  shaved head of a kamikaze pilot  

Garland’s intention

• The reference to the ritual a kamikaze pilot undertakes before boarding tells readers the pilot is on a suicide mission for his country

“full of powerful incantations

and enough fuel for a one-way

journey into history” 

• Garland refers again to the ritual : the pilot is repeating patriotic  chants (“incantations”)
• The speaker tells the reader that this is a suicide mission which will lead to glory for the pilot, that he will be respected always for his sacrifice
• Here, Garland refers to the power behind the chants of honour and glory which the pilot repeats to complete his military duty
• Garland’s speaker lets readers know that this suicide mission is one of patriotism , that he has been called to carry out an important duty

“but half way there, she thought,

recounting it later to her children,”

• The speaker  is the pilot’s daughter who is telling the story to her children
• She continues the story of the father, suggesting that something changes “half way there”
• Garland alerts readers that this is a story being told by a mother to her children about her own father, showing the perspective of family members during and after conflict
• The break in stanza  pauses the story and, with the conjunction “but”, the speaker  highlights something changed on the pilot’s journey, that he had doubts about his duties

“he must have looked far down

at the little fishing boats

strung out like bunting

on a green-blue translucent sea”

• Here, the speaker  of the story recounts to her children what she imagines about the pilot’s journey: she guesses he looked down on the ocean from his aeroplane  
• The lines convey a tone of nostalgia   as the pilot leaves his home behind
• The speaker   suggests the father may have felt emotional, homesick perhaps, as he sees the beautiful ocean

Lines 13-16

“and beneath them, arcing in swathes

like a huge flag waved first one way

then the other in a figure of eight,

the dark shoals of fishes”

• The speaker  describes the scene below: the pilot can see the shadows of fish swimming under the water
• Now the pilot can see a darker shadow of fish beneath the water
• Garland describes the size and magnitude of the shoals of fish with the word “swathes” which means ‘a broad area’
• These lines contrast the earlier positive description of the scene
• This description could convey darker thoughts in the pilot’s mind, suggesting he doubts his part in the conflict
• The fish shoals are described as a flag, like a warning to him

Lines 17-20

“flashing silver as their bellies

swivelled towards the sun

and remembered how he

and his brothers waiting on the shore”

• The speaker describes the fish turning, now silver and bright in the sun
• This reminds him of his childhood, fishing with his brothers
• These lines depict the darker thoughts being replaced with brighter memories of the pilot’s childhood
• The fish seem to signal to the pilot as they turn and flash in the sun, suggesting nature reminds him of what is important

Lines 21 - 24

“built cairns of pearl-grey pebbles

to see whose withstood longest

the turbulent inrush of breakers

bringing their father’s boat safe”

• The speaker  tells us the pilot remembers how he built small graves of stone with his brother
• He describes how he and his brother competed to see whose grave withstood the crash of waves as they brought the boat in
• The pilot’s memories remind him of family, and of death 
• Here, Garland shows how the pilot remembers small intimate details of his past which help him realise the power of nature and the importance of family

Lines 25-30

“- yes, grandfather’s boat – safe

to the shore, salt-sodden, awash

with cloud-marked mackerel,

black crabs, feathery prawns,

the loose silver of whitebait and once

a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.”

• The speaker   begins to list all the fish they would catch fishing together as a family
• The pilot remembers catching a tuna, a strong and powerful fish
• The descriptions convey the vivid memory the pilot has as he looks down on the water where he fished with his family
• However, Garland gives this power to nature, not the pilot: this subverts  ideas relating to military strength and power

Lines 31-33

“And though he came back

my mother never spoke again

in his presence, nor did she meet his eyes” 

• The speaker  explains that the pilot did return home; he did not complete his mission
• However, his return was not welcomed by the speaker's mother, the pilot’s wife
• Garland shows the power of the pilot’s childhood memories and love for his home: he returns, choosing not to die in conflict
• The perspective of the speaker ’s mother is unexpected perhaps: she is disgraced by his return and his disobedience towards his duty to his country:
• Garland comments on the culture of honour and patriotism
• She conveys the extreme response of individuals when soldiers defy cultural values

Lines 34-36

“and the neighbours too, they treated him

as though he no longer existed,

only we children still chattered and laughed”

• The speaker   explains that other people responded similarly: the neighbours alienated the pilot
• The children did not understand these ideas, and continued as before
• Garland shows how powerful the values of honour and glory are for the pilot’s neighbours, so strong that they ignore and ostracise  him
• Garland explores how children respond differently, suggesting patriotism is learned behaviour

Lines 37-40

“till gradually we too learned

to be silent, to live as though

he had never returned, that this

was no longer the father we loved.”

• The speaker   explains that the children were told to ignore their father too
• The lines here depict the way the children were taught to deny him as a father
• Garland shows an example of children being taught to mimic the ideas of their elders
• Her poem explores family conflicts as a result of cultural ideals regarding patriotism

Lines 41-42

“And sometimes, she said, he must have wondered

which had been the better way to die.”

• The speaker   ends the poem with her own reflections
• She considers the huge price her father paid for returning home instead of sacrificing his life for his country:
• She considers his life afterwards to be a metaphorical death too
• Garland comments on the sacrifice the father had to make whether or not he completed his suicide mission to explore the impact of patriotic values on family
• She ends the poem with a poignant comment which shifts the narration from the external to the internal: the ending suggests unresolved  emotions

Your exam question will ask you to compare how poets present ideas about power and/or conflict in the poem given to you on the exam paper and one other from the Power and Conflict anthology. It is therefore a good idea to begin your answer using the wording of the question and summarising what the poem tells us about the nature of conflict. This demonstrates that you have understood the poem and the poet’s intention. For example, “Garland presents negative ideas about conflict and its effects in Kamikaze by showing loss within families. Similar themes can be found in…”

Writer’s Methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Garland’s intentions behind her choices in terms of:

The last thing examiners want to see is what they call “technique spotting”. This is when students use overly sophisticated terminology unnecessarily (“polysyndeton”; “epanalepsis”), without explaining their analysis.

Knowing the names of sophisticated techniques will not gain you any more marks, especially if these techniques are only “spotted” and the poet’s intentions for this language is not explained. Instead of technique spotting, focus your analysis on the reasons why the poet is presenting their ideas in the way that they do: what is their message? What ideas are they presenting, or challenging?

The poem is a seven stanza narration told from a third-person perspective. The daughter recounts the journey of her father, a kamikaze pilot, and the family’s perspective on his ‘dishonourable’ return.

The poem follows a rigid and ordered structure which represents both the rigidity of the family towards the father and the strict discipline of military duty. 

Garland weaves imagery alluding to the beauty and power of nature alongside images related to conflict, in particular, that of the Japanese kamikaze pilot. This conveys the emotions of the pilot as he battles with his decision to fight for his country or return to it. 

Try not to separate “language”, “form” and “structure” into three separate elements you need to include in your answer. To achieve top marks, you need to include an integrated comparison of the themes and ideas in this and the other poems in the anthology, and focus on the relevance of the method used by the poet to the ideas in the poem(s). This means it is better to structure your answer around an exploration of the ideas and themes in the poems, commenting on elements of language, form or structure that contribute to the presentation of these themes, rather than simply listing all of the key methods you think should be covered when writing about poetry (with no analysis or exploration of their relevance to the themes and ideas). Stay focused on the task, and then choose your comments based on the focus of the question.

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Beatrice Garland, or historical facts about kamikaze pilots that are unrelated to the ideas in Kamikaze. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Garland in Kamikaze which relate to power or conflict. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Garland explores:

• Loss due to conflict
• Powerlessness due to conflict

Loss due to conflict 

• Garland’s Kamikaze is one of a collection of poems in an anthology which considers, among other themes, family loss due to cultural divides
• In Kamikaze, Garland chose to explore the nationalistic values of Japanese kamikaze pilots  and their families, and how this may lead to family conflict
• During World War II , Japan adopted a strategy of attacking enemy targets with suicide bombers known as kamikaze pilots
• Japanese culture is closely connected to honour and bravery above all
• An individual’s dishonourable actions will reflect poorly on their friends and family 
• This poem considers the experience of a kamikaze pilot: a father chooses to return home instead of completing his mission, thus defying social and cultural expectations
• This leads to his isolation as his family turns their back on him
• The poem explores the loss the family suffers through the perspective of his daughter
• Neither the daughter nor her own children have the father in their lives
• Garland explores how the cultural values her family support, that of honour and duty to country above all else, lead to divisions

Powerlessness due to conflict  

• Garland’s poem considers the social pressure placed upon soldiers via the perspective of a father leaving home and contemplating his death:
• By showing the father’s doubts about his military duty, readers see a human side of war, regardless of which side a soldier is on
• Garland’s father is alienated and ignored due to his choice to return: the father is powerless to be with his family again regardless of his decision
• Garland challenges cultural values regarding patriotism  by presenting a daughter and her siblings as powerless to defy their mother’s wishes
• They are told to turn their back on their father and they obey
• Garland questions this by presenting the daughter’s unresolved  reflections
• She tells her own children about their grandfather in his absence
• She acknowledges that her father was powerless in his situation: “He must have wondered which was the better way to die”

Remember, AO3 is only worth up to 6 marks in this question. You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the relationship between the poem and the context in which it was written in an integrated way, throughout your answer. It is therefore important to focus on the key themes, and have a thorough knowledge of the cluster of poems. 

Context comes from the key word in the task, so your answer should emphasise the key themes of the effects of conflict and loss. Writing a whole paragraph about Japanese military culture is not an integrated approach, and will not achieve high marks.

What to Compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about power, or conflict, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Kamikaze explores the ideas of loss due to conflict and powerlessness due to conflict, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• Kamikaze and Poppies

Kamikaze and War Photographer

Kamikaze and Remains

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

You will be expected not only to explore this poem in depth, but make perceptive comparisons to themes, language, form and structure used in other poems in the anthology that also comment on power and its nature. It is therefore important that you have a thorough knowledge of all of the poems, rather than just memorising a series of quotations. It is also essential that you not only write about the named poem but compare it to one other in the anthology. Only writing about the poem given on the paper will severely limit your marks.

Kamikaze and Poppies 

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Kamikaze and Poppies convey personal and individual loss due to conflict by presenting the perspectives of family members. The poems explore ideas related to bravery and honour, and how these values can lead to a sense of powerlessness for all involved in the conflict.

Similarities:

Differences:

It is a good idea to outline your choice of second poem in your introduction to your response, with a clear overview of the overarching themes within both poems. You can then use the theme to move between both poems to provide the substance to illustrate your arguments. However, this does not mean that you cannot focus on one poem first, and then the other, linking ideas back to the main poem. You should choose whichever structure suits you best, as long as comparison is embedded and ideas for both texts are well-developed.

This is an effective comparative choice to explore the impact of conflict on those other than soldiers themselves. Both Garland’s Kamikaze and Duffy’s War Photographer present unconventional perspectives and descriptions of the experience of conflict.

 Differences:

Both Garland’s Kamikaze and Armitage’s Remains highlight the unrelenting nature of isolation and personal loss. The poems present speakers who feel powerless within conflict and in the wake of it.

You can choose whichever poem you feel you are able to make the most in-depth comparisons to in the exam. For example, you could choose to compare the presentation of family loss in Kamikaze and Poppies. Or you might wish to explore the idea of powerlessness  in Kamikaze and Remains. What is important is that you view the poems thematically, with a clear emphasis on power and conflict. This will give you a better framework in which to write your response in the exam.

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Author: Sam Evans

Sam is a graduate in English Language and Literature, specialising in journalism and the history and varieties of English. Before teaching, Sam had a career in tourism in South Africa and Europe. After training to become a teacher, Sam taught English Language and Literature and Communication and Culture in three outstanding secondary schools across England. Her teaching experience began in nursery schools, where she achieved a qualification in Early Years Foundation education. Sam went on to train in the SEN department of a secondary school, working closely with visually impaired students. From there, she went on to manage KS3 and GCSE English language and literature, as well as leading the Sixth Form curriculum. During this time, Sam trained as an examiner in AQA and iGCSE and has marked GCSE English examinations across a range of specifications. She went on to tutor Business English, English as a Second Language and international GCSE English to students around the world, as well as tutoring A level, GCSE and KS3 students for educational provisions in England. Sam freelances as a ghostwriter on novels, business articles and reports, academic resources and non-fiction books.

AQA “Power and Conflict”: Ozymandias and Kamikaze analysis

The current educational situation is more challenging than ever, with closing schools and exam uncertainties impacting students all over the country. This is especially for GCSE students looking to keep up their essay and study skills, which is why I have moved all lessons online and will be providing as many digital resources, hints and tips as possible over the coming months.

When it comes to poetry, many students find essay structure the hardest part to master. There is really nothing complicated to this though, and if you follow the trusty PEEZAP structure (useful for all essay subjects, not just English), then your analysis will be off to a flying start. I have provided a model example of this structure below – comparing Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley and Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland below. But first, what exactly is PEEZAP?

• P – Point (i.e. make your key statement or argument)
• E – Evidence (back this up with a quotation from the text)
• E – Explanation (tell me why this piece of evidence supports your point)
• Z – Zoom (go into more detail, i.e. is there anything else in the text that backs up your argument, or any other way you can develop your point)
• A – Analyse (another quote and some terminology to support your “zoom”)
• P – Perspective (poems, plays and novels are all written by people, for people – how does all this impact the reader, do you have any context to explain the writer’s intentions?)

If you are unfamiliar with these poems, watch the YouTube videos first. Then take a look at the essay below. Be a critical teacher! Do you agree with the PEEZAP markings, and what would you improve – and why?

An Ozymandias reading by Bryan Cranston and BBC Teach analysis by Akala:

There is also a very useful colour-coded reading of Kamikaze , in addition to a Guardian documentary on real-life Kamikaze pilots:

Feeling ready? Let’s go on the structure masterclass…

In Ozymandias, the poet explores ideas about fate and power. Compare this with one other poem of your choice ( Kamikaze ).

Introduction – Introduce your main point (in relation to the question), before focusing on what the poems have in common, as well as differences. Even if they deal with similar themes, no two poems will be exactly the same – so show you’re aware of the nuances.

In Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley and Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland, both poets present ideas about the inevitability and inescapability of fate. In Ozymandias , Shelley presents the decaying statue of an ancient King as an allegory for the eventual end of power that we are all fated to suffer – most especially the proud. Kamikaze also deals with the futility of trying to avoid one’s fate (and death), but from a much more personal, human perspective. Whilst these two poems differ greatly in their structure, settings and imagery, both ultimately provide the same (somewhat sombre) memorial to human beings inevitably and powerlessly subject to the vicissitudes of fate and their own mortality.

PEEZAP Paragraph 1

PEEZAP Paragraph 2

Structure – More difficult to follow the PEEZAP structure exactly – but so important to think about how each poem’s rhyme scheme and structure reinforces its central message.

Whilst Garland’s poem is presented in seven regular sestets (with a shift to italics to indicate a change of speaker), there is no overt rhyme scheme. This can be compared with Ozymandias , which also has a regular structure (written in a sonnet form, in iambic pentameter) and an irregular rhyme scheme. For Shelley, the irregular rhyme scheme could be symbolic of the broken statue itself – no longer perfect, and falling apart as the poem progresses. The sonnet form (usually composed as romantic love poems) could serve as a further ironic joke about the ruler’s ill-fated ego – or perhaps offer a more nostalgic, romantic tone of a lost legend. In a similar way, Garland’s poem offers no easy answers to the question posed by the pilot’s fate. Just like the non-existent rhyme scheme, no neat or easily comprehensible solutions are presented– challenging the reader to make their own judgments on events.

Conclusion – This should reflect the points made in the introduction – pointing out the similarities and differences.

In conclusion, both Ozymandias and Kamikaze depict central protagonists attempting (and failing) to escape their own fate. Whilst Ozymandias presents a more ironic description of a ruler sure of his own power and infallibility, Kamikaze presents a more nuanced, personalised description of an individual pilot trying to return home. Both poems explore the attempt to escape our human mortality in one way or another however, and both show characters ultimately drawn back to their very human, very lonely destinies – both fated to be forgotten and ignored in one way or another.

For more essay skills practice, take a look at my previous post on GCSE English terminology . With a combination of good structure, killer analysis and sophisticated terminology – you can’t go wrong. Do get in touch with any questions, and happy essay writing!

More  Power and Conflict  sample poetry essays:

• A comparison of  Exposure  and  Charge of the Light Brigade
• A comparison of  Tissue  and  The Émigrée
• A comparison of  Storm on the Island and The Prelude
• A comparison of London and My Last Duchess

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5 thoughts on “ AQA “Power and Conflict”: Ozymandias and Kamikaze analysis ”

• Pingback: Storm on the Island and The Prelude: GCSE Poem Analysis – AC studies

I just came across the Ozymandias poem and it made me stop and reasses my priorities in life. It’s a powerful piece and this review does both those poems justice. 👏

Like Liked by 1 person

Hi Kendi – thank you so much, that’s amazing it’s changed your own thought processes – how powerful. It’s a great and really thought provoking poem isn’t it? Really glad you enjoyed the analysis as well, and thanks for sharing.

Hi there! You helped me massively with my English poetry essay on the power of humans by the unique ideas discussed on this blog post so really, thank you so much! The ideas were unique and perceptive and many of my English teachers believe that Kamikaze and Ozymandias cannot be compared but this has been really insightful. Thank youu ❤

Hi – thank you very much for your message, and I am so glad that you found some of the ideas in the essay useful! All the very best for your studies, and good luck for any upcoming exams! 🙂 Amelia

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Poppies/Kamikaze Essay

Both ‘Poppies’ and ‘Kamikaze’ explore loss. In Poppies, Weir explores the loss that mothers feel when their children go off to war. She deliberately doesn’t mention one particular war, so that the experiences in the poem can apply to any war at any time. Weir makes the mother’s feelings of loss clear by writing ‘released a songbird from its cage’. Weir’s use of imagery helps the reader to imagine that the mother is having to open up a cage and release a vulnerable bird into the world. In this image, the bird symbolises her son and the cage symbolises the home they share together. It is clear that the mother is finding it very difficult letting her son go off to war, knowing that she may not see him again. In Kamikaze, the feelings of loss are different. When the father returns, he loses his family and they lose him, due to feeling that they must ignore him. This is linked to the honour of being sent on a Kamikaze mission and the shame that would have been felt if the pilot did not fulfil his duty to his country. Garland makes the children’s loss clear by writing ‘we too learned to be silent’. These words indicate that the children learn from their mother and neighbours that they must ignore their father, which means they lose their father and he loses them. Garland’s use of the word ‘learn’ is important as it indicates that they have been taught to ignore their father over a period of time. Garland’s use of the word ‘silent’ feels very cold because it encourages the reader to imagine that the father is completely ignored. It is clear in both poems that family members have suffered loss as a result of war.

Both poems explore sadness. Near the end of ‘Poppies’, Weir makes clear the mother misses her son by writing ‘hoping to hear your playground voice’. These words indicate that the mother has fond memories of her son as a child. Weir’s use of sound imagery in these words helps the reader to imagine the happy sounds of her son playing in the school playground. The imagery tells the reader how vivid the mother’s memories are of her son as a young child, and how difficult it must be for the mother knowing that she will never see her son again. Weir’s use of the word ‘hoping’ indicates that the mother is finding it difficult to let go of her son, and is hoping that one day she may hear his voice again. Similarly, Kamikaze ends with feelings of sadness. In the final line of the poem, Garland presents the speaker of the poem as regretful by writing ‘he must have wondered which had been the better way to die’. In other words Garland is suggesting that the father may have asked himself it would have been better to go through with the suicide mission because he was treated as if he was dead when he returned anyway. It is clear that the children will always look back on the way they treated their father feeling regret and sadness because they treated him as if he were dead.

Both poems explore struggle. In ‘Poppies’ Weir makes clear the mother struggles to say goodbye to her son on the day he leaves by writing ‘I was brave’. These words indicate that the mother is forced to appear brave when saying goodbye to her son, due to not wanting him to feel any guilt about leaving. Weir’s use of these words helps the reader to imagine all families who have been in this situation, having to wave goodbye to a family member going to war. We imagine how they would struggle knowing that this family member will be in great danger, and may never return alive. It is clear that war forces all people to be brave - not just the soldiers fighting. The struggle in Kamikaze is different. In Kamikaze, Garland explores the pilot’s struggle when he has to choose between his country and his family. Garland implies that, while the pilot is flying towards the enemy ship, he looks down at the water and sees fishing boats that remind him of his ‘father’s boat’. This brings back memories of days he spent fishing with his father and brothers. Garland implies that these memories encourage the pilot to turn his plane around because he realises that he does not want to lose his family. Garland is clear that she is not writing about a real Kamikaze pilot’s experience, but that she wanted to use her poem to imagine the struggle that young Kamikaze pilots would have gone through in this situation. It is clear in both poems that both the people fighting, and the families, struggle in war.

Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze'

I can explore how Garland uses language and structure to explore the conflict between personal and national duty.

Lesson details

Key learning points.

• The pilot’s national duty, reflected by the patriotic imagery and rigid stanzas, is to complete a sacrificial mission.
• The pilot chooses to abide by his personal duty to experience the beauty of life in the present moment.
• The use of perspective and pronouns reflects society’s attitudes to the pilot’s decision to turn back.
• Abundant natural imagery reflects the allure and power of nature.
• Nature is shown to have a more powerful grip on the pilot than the incantations of propaganda.

Common misconception

Students may not recognise the use of different perspectives in the poem to represent distance.

Explain to pupils that the dual narrative is a stylistic choice of Garland to show the mother telling the story to her own children as if she is not a part of it. She then slowly reveals the pilot is her own father.

Incantations - a magic spell or charm

Patriotism - love or devotion to one’s country

Alluring - powerfully or mysteriously attractive or fascinating

Content guidance

• Contains subject matter which individuals may find upsetting.
• Contains conflict or violence.

Supervision

Adult supervision suggested.

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Starter quiz

6 questions.

Kamikaze Summary & Analysis by Beatrice Garland

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Kamikaze" was written by contemporary British poet Beatrice Garland and published in The Invention of Fireworks (2013). The title refers to Japanese pilots during World War II tasked with flying a suicide mission. With planes full of explosives and just enough fuel to make it to their target, kamikaze pilots had to fly directly at American warships to inflict maximum damage—killing themselves in the process. The poem tells the story of one particular pilot who decides to turn back, prompted by a childhood memory of his brother and father by the sea. Upon his return, however, his whole family disown him—including the poem's main speaker, his daughter.

• Read the full text of “Kamikaze”

The Full Text of “Kamikaze”

“kamikaze” summary, “kamikaze” themes.

Patriotism, Honor, and Shame

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “kamikaze”.

Her father embarked ... ... journey into history

but half way ... ... green-blue translucent sea

Lines 13-18

and beneath them, ... ... towards the sun

Lines 19-24

and remembered how ... ... father’s boat safe

Lines 25-30

– yes, grandfather’s ... ... prince, muscular, dangerous.

Lines 31-36

And though he ... ... chattered and laughed

Lines 37-42

till gradually we ... ... way to die.

“Kamikaze” Symbols

The Samurai Sword

• Line 2: “a samurai sword”

“Kamikaze” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Alliteration.

• Line 2: “samurai sword”
• Line 4: “full”
• Line 5: “fuel”
• Line 6: “history”
• Line 7: “half,” “there,” “thought”
• Line 8: “later”
• Line 9: “looked,” “far”
• Line 10: “fishing,” “boats”
• Line 11: “strung,” “bunting”
• Line 12: “blue,” “sea”
• Line 13: “beneath”
• Line 14: “flag,” “first”
• Line 15: “figure”
• Line 16: “fishes”
• Line 17: “flashing silver”
• Line 18: “swivelled,” “sun”
• Line 20: “brothers”
• Line 21: “built,” “pearl-grey pebbles”
• Line 23: “breakers”
• Line 24: “bringing,” “boat”
• Line 25: “boat,” “safe”
• Line 26: “salt-sodden”
• Line 27: “cloud-marked”
• Line 28: “crabs,” “prawns”
• Line 29: “whitebait,” “once”
• Line 30: “prince”
• Line 32: “mother”
• Line 33: “meet”
• Line 36: “children,” “chattered”
• Line 37: “learned”
• Line 38: “live”
• Line 39: “he had,” “that this”
• Line 40: “longer,” “loved”
• Line 41: “sometimes,” “said,” “wondered”
• Line 42: “which,” “been,” “better,” “way”
• Line 1: “father embarked,” “sunrise”
• Line 2: “water,” “samurai”
• Line 3: “cockpit,” “shaven”
• Line 4: “full,” “powerful incantations”
• Line 5: “enough,” “one-way”
• Line 6: “journey,” “history”
• Line 7: “way”
• Line 10: “little fishing”
• Lines 12-12: “green- / translucent sea”
• Line 12: “blue”
• Line 13: “beneath,” “ arcing,” “swathes”
• Line 14: “waved,” “way”
• Line 15: “eight”
• Line 17: “flashing silver as”
• Line 18: “swivelled”
• Line 20: “waiting”
• Line 21: “grey”
• Line 24: “safe”
• Line 26: “salt-sodden, awash”
• Line 27: “cloud-marked mackerel”
• Line 28: “black crabs”
• Line 29: “loose,” “once”
• Line 30: “a tuna, the,” “muscular”
• Line 33: “she meet”
• Line 34: “neighbours,” “they treated him”
• Line 35: “though,” “no,” “existed”
• Line 36: “only,” “children still chattered and laughed”
• Line 37: “till gradually we too”
• Line 38: “to be,” “to”
• Line 39: “he”
• Line 40: “longer,” “father,” “loved”
• Line 41: “sometimes,” “must,” “wondered”
• Line 42: “die”
• Lines 25-30: “– yes, grandfather’s boat – safe / to the shore, salt-sodden, awash / with cloud-marked mackerel, / black crabs, feathery prawns, / the loose silver of whitebait and once / a tuna, the dark prince, muscular, dangerous.”
• Lines 34-40: “and the neighbours too, they treated him / as though he no longer existed, / only we children still chattered and laughed / till gradually we too learned / to be silent, to live as though / he had never returned, that this / was no longer the father we loved.”
• Line 2: “water, a”
• Line 3: “cockpit, a”
• Line 7: “there, she”
• Line 13: “them, arcing”
• Line 25: “– yes, grandfather’s boat – safe”
• Line 26: “shore, salt-sodden, awash”
• Line 28: “crabs, feathery”
• Line 30: “tuna, the,” “prince, muscular, dangerous.”
• Line 33: “presence, nor”
• Line 34: “too, they”
• Line 38: “silent, to”
• Line 39: “returned, that”
• Line 41: “sometimes, she said, he”
• Lines 11-12
• Lines 27-28
• Lines 1-2: “sunrise / with”
• Lines 2-3: “sword / in”
• Lines 3-4: “head / full”
• Lines 4-5: “incantations / and”
• Lines 5-6: “one-way / journey”
• Lines 6-7: “history / but”
• Lines 9-10: “down / at”
• Lines 10-11: “boats / strung”
• Lines 11-12: “bunting / on”
• Lines 12-13: “sea / and”
• Lines 13-14: “swathes / like”
• Lines 14-15: “way / then”
• Lines 16-17: “fishes / flashing”
• Lines 17-18: “ bellies / swivelled”
• Lines 18-19: “sun / and”
• Lines 19-20: “he / and”
• Lines 20-21: “shore / built”
• Lines 21-22: “pebbles / to”
• Lines 22-23: “longest / the”
• Lines 23-24: “breakers / bringing”
• Lines 25-26: “safe / to”
• Lines 26-27: “awash / with”
• Lines 29-30: “once / a”
• Lines 31-32: “back / my”
• Lines 32-33: “again / in”
• Lines 33-34: “eyes / and”
• Lines 34-35: “him / as”
• Lines 36-37: “laughed / till”
• Lines 37-38: “learned / to”
• Lines 38-39: “though / he”
• Lines 39-40: “this / was”
• Lines 41-42: “wondered / which”
• Lines 5-6: “a one-way / journey into history”
• Line 27: “cloud-marked mackerel,”
• Line 28: “feathery prawns”
• Line 30: “a tuna, the dark prince,”
• Lines 10-12: “the little fishing boats / strung out like bunting / on a green-blue translucent sea”
• Lines 13-18: “arcing in swathes / like a huge flag waved first one way / then the other in a figure of eight, / the dark shoals of fishes / flashing silver as their bellies / swivelled towards the sun”
• Lines 34-35: “they treated him / as though he no longer existed”
• Lines 38-39: “to live as though / he had never returned”
• Lines 19-30
• Lines 31-42

“Kamikaze” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Samurai Sword
• Incantations
• Turbulent Inrush
• Salt-Sodden
• (Location in poem: Line 2: “samurai sword”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Kamikaze”

Rhyme scheme, “kamikaze” speaker, “kamikaze” setting, literary and historical context of “kamikaze”, more “kamikaze” resources, external resources.

World War II Poetry — A valuable critical overview of WWII poets by the Poetry Foundation.

Garland's Perspective — Garland discusses the poem in this short interview. 

Interview with Kamikaze Pilots — Garland's poem was in part inspired by this article, an interview with two kamikaze pilots.  

More Poems by Garland — A link to Garland's own website, which has a number of her poems up for reading.  

Shame and Honor — A fascinating essay that looks into the Japanese attitude towards shame and honor. The essay also focuses on bushido (which originated with the samurai warriors). 

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Kamikaze and Poppies comparison Grade 9 essay

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Other

Last updated

20 September 2020

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Teachers and students of AQA Power and Conflict cluster of poems. A Grade 9 standard essay comparing the presentation of personal, familial and national identity in Kamikaze and Poppies.

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Summary & Structure

Summary and key ideas in kamikaze.

In Beatrice Garland's Kamikaze, the speaker describes her father, a Kamikaze pilot, heading out one day on a suicide mission but then turning back.

• Kamikaze pilots were Japanese pilots that were expected to fly into their enemy to destroy them, killing themselves in the process.
• It was part of their duty to their country and to turn back on a mission would have brought shame to your family and community.

• Through the description of the fish, sea, shore and pebbles, the poet explores ideas about the beauty of nature and its effects on humans.

Duty and community

• The poem explores the pilot’s ostracisation (isolation) from his community because of failing to do what was seen as his duty.
• His own wife, neighbours and eventually children refuse to acknowledge him and act as though he is not there.
• The power and influence of community values is a key theme.
• At the end of the poem, the speaker questions whether the treatment he received when he returned home was a worse “death” than dying on the mission.

Memory and childhood

• The power of memory and the allure of childhood are key themes in the poem.
• The poet presents memories of childhood as something that lures the pilot back from his mission and triggers his change of heart.

Duty and life

• The poet explores the tension or conflict between the expectations of the pilot’s community and family, and his appreciation of the value of life.

Structure and Form - Conflicting Emotions

Garland uses the structure and form of Kamikaze to mirror the mixed emotions of the speaker and the plot. These are the different structural techniques Garland uses to do so:

Narrative shift

• The move from third-person narrator to the first person (from the point of view of the daughter) in the last two stanzas of the poem reveals the inner thoughts and feelings of the pilot’s daughter.
• It reveals her conflicting emotions about the way her father was treated.
• The shift is also marked using italics as if to emphasise the importance of the speaker’s words and the significance of what she is saying.

Caesura (break in the line) and aside

• The caesura, which signifies the aside (“but half way there, she thought, recounting it later to her children”) marks the daughter’s moment of contemplation.
• An aside is where words are spoken to the audience but not heard by the characters in the poem.
• This moment also mirror’s the pilot’s hesitation.

1 Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

1.1 Ozymandias Analysis

1.1.1 Summary

1.1.2 Key Ideas

1.1.3 Themes

1.1.4 Irony & Rhythm

1.1.5 Key Quotes & Comparisons

1.1.6 End of Topic Test - Ozymandias

2 London - William Blake (1757-1827)

2.1 London Analysis

2.1.1 Summary

2.1.2 Themes & Structure

2.1.3 Themes & Structure 2

2.1.4 Key Quotes & Comparisons

2.1.5 Exam-Style Questions - London

3 Storm on the Island - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

3.1 Storm on the Island Analysis

3.1.1 Summary & Structure

3.1.2 Themes

3.1.3 Themes 2

3.1.4 Key Quotes & Comparisons

3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Blake & Heaney

4 Exposure - Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

4.1 Exposure Analysis

4.1.1 Summary

4.1.2 Personification

4.1.3 Themes

4.1.4 Structure, Key Quotes & Comparisons

4.1.5 End of Topic Test - Exposure

5 War Photographer - Carol Ann Duffy (born 1955)

5.1 War Photographer Analysis

5.1.1 Summary

5.1.2 Themes

5.1.3 Imagery

5.1.4 Comparisons & Key Quotes

6 My Last Duchess - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

6.1 My Last Duchess Analysis

6.1.1 Summary

6.1.2 Characterisation & Themes

6.1.3 Structure, Key Quotes & Comparisons

6.1.4 End of Topic Test - Duffy & Browning

7 The Prelude - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

7.1 Extract from The Prelude Analysis

7.1.1 Summary

7.1.2 Personification & Imagery

7.1.3 Themes

7.1.4 Key Quotes & Comparisons

7.1.5 End of Topic Test - The Prelude

8 Charge of the Light Brigade - Alfred Tennyson

8.1 Charge of the Light Brigade Analysis

8.1.1 Summary

8.1.2 Themes

8.1.3 Rhetorical Techniques, Key Quotes & Comparisons

8.1.4 End of Topic Test - Charge of the Light Brigade

8.1.5 Exam-Style Questions - Charge of the Light Brigade

9 Bayonet Charge - Ted Hughes (1930-1998)

9.1 Bayonet Charge Analysis

9.1.1 Summary

9.1.2 Themes

9.1.3 Themes 2

9.1.4 Structure & Key Comparisons

9.1.5 End of Topic Test - Bayonet Charge

10 Poppies - Jane Weir (Born 1963)

10.1 Poppies Analysis

10.1.1 Summary

10.1.2 Theme of Motherhood

10.1.3 Imagery

10.1.4 Form, Structure & Key Comparisons

10.1.5 End of Topic Test - Poppies

11 Tissue - Imtiaz Dharker (Born 1954)

11.1 Tissue Analysis

11.1.1 Summary

11.1.2 Themes & Symbolism

11.1.3 Religion & Conflict

11.1.4 Form, Structure & Key Comparisons

11.1.5 End of Topic Test - Tissue

12 The Emigree - Carol Rumens (Born 1944)

12.1 The Emigree Analysis

12.1.1 Summary & Structure

12.1.2 Themes

12.1.3 Key Quotes & Comparisons

12.1.4 End of Topic Test - The Emigree

13 Kamikaze - Beatrice Garland (Born 1938)

13.1 Kamikaze Analysis

13.1.1 Summary & Structure

13.1.2 Themes

13.1.3 Themes 2

13.1.4 Structure, Quotes & Comparisons

13.1.5 End of Topic Test - Kamikaze

14 Checking Out Me History - John Agard (Born 1949)

14.1 Checking Out Me History Analysis

14.1.1 Summary

14.1.2 Themes

14.1.3 Key Quotes & Comparisons

14.1.4 End of Topic Test - Checking Out Me History

15 Remains - Simon Armitage (Born 1963)

15.1 Remains Analysis

15.1.1 Summary

15.1.2 Themes: Desensitisation &Trauma

15.1.3 Themes: Guilt

15.1.4 Themes: Nature of War

15.1.5 Structure

15.1.6 Key Quotes & Comparisons

15.1.7 End of Topic Test - Remains

16 Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1 Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

16.1.1 Grade 9 - Themes & Comparisons

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Kamikaze vs Remains

• Created by: Jesswardop
• Created on: 19-02-20 11:11

• English Literature
• AQA Anthology

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During the era of the weak emperor Taisho (1912-26), the political power shifted from the oligarchic clique (genro) to the parliament and the democratic parties. In the First World War, Japan joined the Allied powers, but played only a minor role in fighting German colonial forces in East Asia. At the following Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Japan's proposal of amending a "racial equality clause" to the covenant of the League of Nations was rejected by the United States, Britain and Australia.

Arrogance and racial discrimination towards the Japanese had plagued Japanese-Western relations since the forced opening of the country in the 1800s, and were again a major factor for the deterioration of relations in the decades preceeding World War 2. In 1924, for example, the US Congress passed the Exclusion Act that prohibited further immigration from Japan. After WW1, Japan's economical situation worsened. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the world wide depression of 1929 intensified the crisis.

During the 1930s, the military established almost complete control over the government. Many political enemies were assassinated, and communists persecuted. Indoctrination and censorship in education and media were further intensified. Navy and army officers soon occupied most of the important offices, including the one of the prime minister.

Already earlier, Japan followed the example of Western nations and forced China into unequal economical and political treaties. Furthermore, Japan's influence over Manchuria had been steadily growing since the end of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05. When the Chinese Nationalists began to seriously challenge Japan's position in Manchuria in 1931, the Kwantung Army (Japanese armed forces in Manchuria) occupied Manchuria. In the following year, "Manchukuo" was declared an independent state, controlled by the Kwantung Army through a puppet government. In the same year, the Japanese air force bombarded Shanghai in order to protect Japanese residents from anti Japanese movements.

In 1933, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations since she was heavily criticized for her actions in China. In July 1937, the second Sino-Japanese War broke out. A small incident was soon made into a full scale war by the Kwantung army which acted rather independently from a more moderate government. The Japanese forces succeeded in occupying almost the whole coast of China and committed severe war atrocities on the Chinese population, especially during the fall of the capital Nanking. However, the Chinese government never surrendered completely, and the war continued on a lower scale until 1945.

In 1940, Japan occupied French Indochina (Vietnam) upon agreement with the French Vichy government, and joined the Axis powers Germany and Italy. These actions intensified Japan's conflict with the United States and Great Britain which reacted with an oil boycott. The resulting oil shortage and failures to solve the conflict diplomatically made Japan decide to capture the oil rich Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and to start a war with the US and Great Britain. In December 1941, Japan attacked the Allied powers at Pearl Harbour and several other points throughout the Pacific. Japan was able to expand her control over a large territory that expanded to the border of India in the West and New Guinea in the South within the following six months.

The turning point in the Pacific War was the battle of Midway in June 1942. From then on, the Allied forces slowly won back the territories occupied by Japan. In 1944, intensive air raids started over Japan. In spring 1945, US forces invaded Okinawa in one of the war's bloodiest battles. On July 27, 1945, the Allied powers requested Japan in the Potsdam Declaration to surrender unconditionally, or destruction would continue.

However, the military did not consider surrendering under such terms, partially even after US military forces dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, and the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on August 8. On August 14, however, Emperor Showa finally decided to surrender unconditionally. After World War II had ended, Japan was devastated. All the large cities (with the exception of Kyoto), the industries and the transportation networks were severely damaged.

A severe shortage of food continued for several years. The occupation of Japan by the Allied Powers started in August 1945 and ended in April 1952. General MacArthur was its first Supreme Commander. The whole operation was mainly carried out by the United States. Japan basically lost all the territory acquired after 1894.

In addition, the Kurile islands were occupied by the Soviet Union, and the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, were controlled by the USA. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, however a territorial dispute with Russia concerning the Kurile Islands has not been resolved yet. The remains of Japan's war machine were destroyed, and war crime trials were held. Over 500 military officers committed suicide right after Japan surrendered, and many hundreds more were executed for committing war crimes. Emperor Showa was not declared a war criminal.

A new constitution went into effect in 1947: The emperor lost all political and military power, and was solely made the symbol of the state. Universal suffrage was introduced and human rights were guaranteed. Japan was also forbidden to ever lead a war again or to maintain an army. Furthermore, Shinto and the state were clearly separated. MacArthur also intended to break up power concentrations by dissolving the zaibatsu and other large companies, and by decentralizing the education system and the police. In a land reform, concentrations in land ownership were removed.

Especially during the first half of the occupation, Japan's media was subject to a rigid censorship of any anti-American statements and controversial topics such as the race issue. The co-operation between the Japanese and the Allied powers worked relatively smooth. Critics started to grow when the United States acted increasingly according to her self interests in the Cold War, reintroduced the persecution of communists, stationed more troops in Japan, and wanted Japan to establish an own self defence force despite the anti-war article in the constitution. Many aspects of the occupation's so called "reverse course" were welcomed by conservative Japanese politicians. With the peace treaty that went into effect in 1952, the occupation ended. Japan's Self Defence Force was established in 1954, accompanied by large public demonstrations.

Great public unrest was also caused by the renewal of the US-Japan Security Treaty of 1960. After the Korean War, and accelerated by it, the recovery of Japan's economy flourished. The economic growth resulted in a quick rise of the living standards, changes in society and the stabilization of the ruling position of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), but also in severe pollution. Japan's relations to the Soviet Union were normalized in 1956, the ones to China in 1972.

The 1973 oil crisis shocked the Japanese economy which was heavily depended on oil. The reaction was a shift to high technology industries. In the 13th century, as legend goes, a Mongol emperor massed a large fleet for the invasion of Japan. The Japanese nation had little to defend itself with, and a Mongol conquest seemed certain. As the fleet massed outside Tokyo Bay gathered to attack, a typhoon came up and either sank all the ships or blew them back to China. This storm, which the Japanese believed was sent by the gods to save their nation, was called "Divine Wind.

" In Japanese, the name is "Kamikaze." By 1945 it was apparent that Japan was losing the War in the Pacific. As a last ditch effort to turn around their flagging fortunes, the Japanese revived the name Kamikaze and applied it to the suicide missions of their air force. Japanese Vice Admiral Takashiro Ohnishi had noted that the most effective way to inflict damage to warships of the allies was to crash planes into them.

He pointed out that one accidental crash could do more damage than ten planes firing machine guns. It was decided that pilots would henceforth purposely crash their planes, which were to be loaded with half a ton of explosives, into enemy warships. The idea of suicide as a part of national military policy was completely new in the history of warfare. The surprise attacks were to take the Americans completely by surprise. They were bewildered by the Japanese suicide missions, completely unable to comprehend the mentality behind them.

The fact they were to go on suicide missions was accepted without question by the Japanese pilots. All newly conscripted into the Japanese Armed Forces were indoctrinated with the following five point oath: (1) A soldier must make loyalty his obligation (2) A soldier must make propriety his way of life (3) A soldier must highly esteem military valor (4) A soldier must have a high regard for righteousness (5) A soldier must live a simple life Especially emphasized among the Japanese Soldier code was unyielding allegiance to Emperor and country. The belief in the Kamikaze was stronger than ever. It was adamantly believed that, because they were fighting for their Emperor God, the Kamikaze would bring them deliverance at the darkest hour, just as it had in the 13th Century. In fact, the call for kamikaze pilots drew a staggering response.

Three times as many applied for suicide flights as the number of planes available. Experienced pilots were turned down. They were needed to train the younger men in how to fly to their deaths. As a result, the majority of those accepted were in their late teens.

They felt grateful to have the opportunity to prove that they were real men. The Kamikaze missions were a success in that they ended up sinking 40 American ships in the Pacific. In the Philippines another 16 enemy ships were destroyed. The cost to the Japanese was hundreds of lives, eagerly given up. But it was not enough. Unlike the divine wind that decimated the Mongols in the 13th Century, the kamikaze were unable to halt the march of the allies.

The surrender of their Emperor, broadcast to the nation via the radio was deeply shocking to the Japanese people. They had seen the Emperor as an infallible God and to hear him utter the word surrender was beyond comprehension. Their confidence was completely shattered. The divine wind never blew. With the passing of time, however, some of those who survived the Kamikaze raids have become criticial of the policy.

Saburo Sakai, a former Imperial Navy Ace, says: " Kamikaze is a surprise attack, according to our ancient war tactics. Surprise attacks will be successful the first time, maybe two or three times. But what fool would continue the same attacks for ten months? Emperor Hirohito must have realised it. He should have said Stop.

'" Another fighter pilot who narrowly escaped a kamikaze mission was Sadamu Komachi. He comments on the pointlessness of the kamikaze attacks. " There was no strategy other than making suicidal attacks, carrying bombs. The commanding officer had no other strategy.

It was a dying struggle. The Japanese chiefs of staff were struggling very hard. The strategy was must is master.'" So, the sacrifices of the kamikaze pilots were, ultimately, in vain. Yet, the incredible Japanese devotion to a cause, which was so evident through their actions, would see their nation rise from the ashes of defeat to be come a major player in the post war world.

The Science of Creative Intelligence or pure consciousness Is the source of…

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