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Analysis Of Born In The Usa By Yusef Komunyakaa

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Cole Davis Professor Anderson English 201 2 April 2023 Poetry Draft Poetry and music are effective mediums for spreading social and political agendas. The songs "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen and "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa are two examples of works that utilize poetry and music to examine the experiences and challenges of veterans. Although "Born in the USA" and "Facing It" had distinct goals when they were made, they both deal with the effects of war on people and society. Both "Born in the USA" and "Facing It" discuss the loneliness and disillusion experienced by returning troops. It's common to mistake the words of "Born in the USA," "Born in the USA, I was born in the USA," for a patriotic anthem when, in fact, they are a criticism of veterans' mistreatment and the government's inability to assist them. The difficulties that a Vietnam War veteran confronts, like unemployment, poverty, and social isolation, are reflected in the lyrics. Similar to this, the poem "Facing It" explores the speaker's sentiments of loneliness and loss as he approaches the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC. The speaker highlights the psychological toll that war takes by attempting to reconcile his own combat …show more content…

The speaker struggles with how best to balance remembering the sacrifices made by his slain teammates with raising issues with the war's

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Therefore, Komunyakaa had personal experience from this specific war and the kind of effects it can have on himself and other veterans. Consequently, Komunyakaa was not the only one, where there were many young men who served in the Vietnam War who had to experience the brutality of war. In which, this is one of the reasons why this particular poem is universal, when regarding the themes, because a whole generation can relate to this. Therefore, the historical context, in addition to some context of the author, which only further demonstrates why Komunyakaa chose this specific theme to explore in his poem “Facing It.” , in

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