Facing It by Yusef Komunyakaa

In "Facing It" by Komunyakaa, a Vietnam War Veteran stands traumatized next to the memorial which he visits. Throughout the poem, Komunyakaa focuses a lot on the physical setting. He gives many parts of the setting, like mentioning he's "inside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial" (10-11), describes "a red bird's wings cutting across my stare" (22-23), and talks about "a plane in the sky" (24). I believe Komunyakaa talks about the setting so much to share the sense of trauma instilled inside the veteran. When someone is traumatized, some of the symptoms include dissociation, where people almost become motionless. The veteran states "I'm stone" (5), merely observing things around him in the setting, instead of being alive. I believe Komunyakaa is trying to show us how seriously trauma affects people.

The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop

Through "The Fish", there are many literary devices that Bishop uses to strengthen her poem. While reading the piece, I noticed Bishop included many instances of juxtaposition throughout her poem. "He was speckled with barnacles, fine rosettes of lime" (line 16-17), she compares an ugly crustacean to beautiful and petite roses. She does this again by comparing a "swim-bladder" (line 32) to a "big peony" (line 33). Again, two very different things, one being an organ for waste and the other being a flower bursting with bright petals. I believe Bishop is comparing these ideas to create an even greater effect of beauty on the object that is more desirable. Much like in our society, comparison between competitors is used to showcase one's superiority. Most companies these days will compare their products to an inferior or less effective product to put theirs in a golden light. I see internet service providers, like Optimum, comparing their speeds and affordability to a obviously less powerful provider, Verizon FiOS. With the comparison these internet service provider companies made for you, you are persuaded into believing what they want you to. Much like in "The Fish", Bishop uses the fishes gritty and maybe ugly demeanor to drastically improve the beauty she has found in the fish. This causes the readers to truly see the beauty she has seen, even though in reality, its probably not all that good-looking. She lightly persuades us into seeing true beauty through the comparisons of such different images. Personally, I think the use of juxtapositions by Bishop really makes the poem. For me, at least.