Rainbow Death Task 2

Point of view:

Hubert Wilson writes this poem from the point of view of a by-stander. He writes the poem in a very detached manner. Hubert Wilson does not tell the poem through the point of view of an American soldier. We can see this from where he says “America did not foresee” he doesn’t use the word “We” but rather “America” which shows a slight detachment.

Situation and setting:

This is situated during the Vietnam war from 1955 to 1975. In this poem, we can evidently see the emotion anger. From strong sentences like “Nefariously America led astray -/Generations untold WILL pay -/Execrable effects of agent orange spray!” , we are able to understand that the writer of this poem does not like the idea of America using such weapons to attempt to end the war. He feels that it is unfair for the innocent to bear the consequences of the war even when they had not started it.

Language and diction:

Potpourri refers to dried and fragrant plant materials mixed together to produce a natural scent. However, in the poem, the potpourri is no longer just a tool to produce fragrance in the house. Instead, potpourri was used as a weapon to kill.

The word toll used in the poem to show how the “innocent and unborn” would suffer and bear the consequences of the war. He tries to show how unfair it is for these children.

Personal response:

War would definitely bring about many harms. We should not start a war impulsively. Instead, we should think about the implications the war would bring to the other generations.