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Analysis Of Tunnel By Yusef Komunyakaa

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"Tunnels" by Yusef Komunyakaa is a poem that defines the experiences of the Vietnam War for the public. This shows harsh, but true faces of the war. The author sounds like a knowledgeable witness to the war so that his poem has a direct connection to the war and shows a very authentic voice. When I read "Tunnels" for the first time I thought of a soldier that is hiding in tunnels, running away from the enemy trying to save himself because that is what imagery comes into mind after reading the title. The author put in imagery of angels, golden rings, gods. and stars. I saw the end coming for the soldier in the form of heaven. I believe the author really respected the soldiers and all the men and women who put their lives on the line all deserved …show more content…

This poem makes me feel proud and sad at learning the real things that armies have to face. Komunyakaa had served in the Vietnam War as a correspondent and he was managing editor of the Southern Cross during the war so he had first-hand experience of what really happened. I have learned that war is a genre of poetry that seeks to create meaning for an indefinite experience and Vietnam War poetry defines these experiences for the soldier himself, but also for a public which did not show great support for the war and had no true understanding at the time according to the History Channel. In Vietnam, the Viet-Cong used tunnels to evade American troops and their air bombings during the Vietnam War. Military was forced to clear these tunnels and many times, smaller soldiers called “tunnel rats” were forced to go inside tunnels by themselves to search and kill any enemies living underground. Tunnels were not very stable built and had many booby traps waiting for victims to snare. North Vietnamese and VC troops went underground in order to survive and continue their guerrilla tactics. The poem takes the readers through the experience of a “tunnel rat” having to go underground by

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Yusef Komunyakaa, the author of “Facing It,” is a Vietnam Veteran who appears to write as a means to express his grief, pain, and postwar experiences. Being a Veteran myself and having been to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. several times, I empathize with Komunyakaa. The first thing I noticed upon walking down the path to the monument was how quiet and peaceful it was, yet the sorrow and pain was deeply rooted. I located the names of family, friends, and the MIA Marine’s name “CAPT RICHARD R. KANE” on my MIA/POW bracelet. This experience sent chills throughout my body and was emotionally overwhelming.

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