We slept with our boots on - War Poetry

Steve Carlsen - Probably not one of the famous war poets out there but definitely a successful one. Steve Carlsen was born and lives in Dowagiac Michigan. He joined the United States Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic Training, and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia. He then reported to D Company 1st battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 82nd Airborne Division in Ft. Bragg North Carolina. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003. He currently attends Southwestern Michigan College wher his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his experiences.

Amongst the 3 poems that we could select , why did I choose the 1st and the hardest? Firstly, my interest in air warfare compelled me to understand more about the jobs of paratroopers.I find his experiences of being a paratrooper intriguing.Usually, paratroopers do not make it out alive in real warfare as they are sent behind enemy lines or right smack in the middle of the battle which guarantees them a low chance of surviving the battle. Being a survivor, Steve Carlsen must have had a good deal of luck and much experience. I feel that his depicted experiences found inside the poem are extremely interesting. For example, "We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks/From house to cave, to car to creek". It seems that his contingent of paratroopers are constantly shifting postitions to engage the enemy with a constant motive of escaping attacks or setting ambushes.No other type of warfare required so much stealth and manoeuvering except,perhaps,a spy in enemy territory. This gives us a fresh perspective on a different form of warfare that is not usually found in other poems.

Secondly , the poem , compared to the other two, took on a personal account , my personal favourite type of perspective.

Now, on to the analysis.

1. Point of View. The poem takes on the point of view of a paratrooper dropped into battle. He uses certain millitary terms such as "Lock N Load" , "The LZ is hot" which meant that the Landing Zone was already occupied by the enemy of there was a battle taking place at that area.Simply put, it meant that they were to paradrop into dangerous territory.In the midst of battle, "I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more/You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more" Though he is unwilling to partake in the massacre of the enemy soldiers , he says that "You do what you have to do" , meaning that it was their duty to do so, even if it was against their will or conscience,showing the cruelty of war and the psychological turmoil that one soldier has to go through when engaged in battle. He also expresses directly that his contingent was "Dirty and tired and hungry and scared".Though it is not fully explained , it gives a rough overview of the mood and atmosphere of the soldiers at that point in time.Also , in his personal opinion, "Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns".I think that he feels anybody that carries guns would inevitably commit murder and taint their innocence in the process. Yet again , he brings out the psychological warfare inside the soldiers mind when he goes to war. Though it is his duty to win the war and kill the enemy, the simple act of killing is already unforgivable. "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink/So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think"
Added on with the physical exhaustion , these soldiers are completely immersed in the war , unable to think for themselves or unwilling to do so.They become mindless machines of murder , incapable of reasoning and with only a single thought in mind; Murder.

2.Situation and Setting. The poem begins with the loading of the paratroopers on to the airplane."Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew" and this is continued by the release of the paratroopers onto Terra Firma. Immediately, they are attacked and "I run as fast as I can through the lead rain". The soldiers escape and return fire while their battle is carried from "the valleys to the mountain peaks", reaching the Hindu Kush. In the high mountains, the battle ensues and inevitable the soldiers meet their demise.

Firstly, the paratroopers prepare and board the plane, ignorant about where they were to land. As they approach the landing zone, they notice "Bullets are flying", yet "We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not". This shows the precarious situation that the paratroopers were in, with no other option but to jump off the plane. "30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit". This line basically shows the frantic rush before their departure. It seems as though the paratroopers require a wake-up call before they are spurred into action, which could mean that they were horribly stressed and terrified before their jump. The act of "pumping adrenalin through all of my veins" shows that the persona was suffering from a high degree of anxiety and fear which spurred him to " run as fast as I can through the lead rain" in the hope of escaping death. The landing of the paratroopers is carefully ommited which could symbolise that it was such a quick process from air to land that the battle engulfed them immediately. The battle is carried "From house to cave, to car to creek" and they end up in the Hindu Kush. The Hindu Kush is a mountain range that streches from Palestine to Afghanistan which shows that this poem is written in context to the American-Afghan conflict a few years back. Finally, the poem ends with their deaths and transit to heaven.

3.Language and Diction. The writer uses much imagery to convey the realism of the poem better. -to be continued-




Credits go to:
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_Kush
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/LZ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter
http://danielsiew2010sec2.wikispaces.com/E-Learning+2+%2825-26+May+2010%29
http://www.google.com.sg/

Multiple Intelligence Test

Basically, my Interpersonal and Intrapersonal ranks among the first , 23 and 21 respectively. Next is Music with a score of 20 , Kinaesthetic and Linguistic with a score of 19 , Logic with a score of 17 , Spatial with a score of 16 and finally Nature with a score of 8.
Firstly , I shall need to clarify that this test was not very accurate. I delibrately changed some options after observing my 1st test results . I realised in my 1st test that I had a Kinaesthetic of 24. This I felt was a Utopian impossibility , thus I altered some of my options to fit that of my opinion of myself. However, this test does help certain people realise hidden talents or show particular weaknesses that are not easily exposed. This Multiple Intelligence Test also helps us in understanding why we do things in such a way and why do people react to us in a particular manner. However, why does one need such information of themselves? I feel that human beings are just human beings, each one equal yet unique in his or her own way. Multiple Intelligence Tests are conducted to find out how people are like , but does this information really help us? I have limited knowledge on the usage of Multiple Intelligence Tests and would gladly welcome my friends to post comments to clarify my doubts or challenge my view.
My view : I feel that all beings on this Earth , in the cosmos above , in the whole universe , are equal. They may be puny insects roaming endlessly in someone's garden or the denizens of the deep or the hidden possibility of extra-terrestrials in outer space. We are all the same. We are all one , all part of this universe, all coexisting in peace or war .This fact can never change and will never change as there is nothing outside the Universe. Now I am trying to believe that micro-organisms are equal to us , though it seems that they hardly have a life of their own. Linking back to the Multiple Intelligence Test , I feel that these tests create a sense of identity for ourselves. This is where we go wrong. If other organisms do not have an identity of their own, why should we? Are we the the dominating species in the entire universe? Why do we not treat other organisms with the same respect or same way a human treats another? For example, why do scientists conduct their tests on animals and cause suffering and death? They are just to help make the lives of human more comfortable at the expense of the lives of countless others. Does one not feel that the unnecessary slaughtering of other organisms a crime? I look forward to viewing the comments of your perceptions.

(I would just inform you that there would be another post , to be created tomorrow , exploring a book that talks about the existence of extra terrestrials . Hope you guys could comment XD)

-The Universal Key

Blasphemy - Science Vs Religion (Book by Douglas Preston)

In the everlasting conflict between science and religion , which will triumph? For lack of a better starting phrase , I have flaccidly anointed ((v) anoint (choose by or as if by divine intervention)) this statement which I feel is fundamentally incorrect. As I have said in my previous post , Science cannot exist without Religion and Religion without Science. Though they do not seem as opposites to each other , they are based on two very different concepts. Science is based on fact while Religion is based on Faith. Fact is the evidence that something is right while Faith is the belief that something is right with no actual evidence. This is why Science and Religion and opposites. However, in both concepts there are a significant number of "Question Marks" here and there , particularly significant in Science would be how to prove a theory is right and in Religion would be God. I am just presenting much background information on both concepts and both opposites before I delve into more detail on how Science vs Religion can be shown and is very significant in the book by Preston Douglas , Blasphemy.
First up on science! Firstly what is a theory?

Philosophy - What is it?

For lack of a better explanation , I shall copy and paste from Wikipedia and continue to elaborate on it .... "Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language" Quoted from Wikipedia.

Firstly, philosophy is a paradox. It is the study of very complicated , complex , continuous subjects which never has a definite answer. It is a simple yet complex theory, whereby I use dualism to embrace all subjects. No Plus can exist without a Minus, no Boon without Bane , No yes without no.
This is the concept that I base on. There is no yes or no, no clear stand, because philosophy is just , and will always be , a endless argument of all of the above. These subjects are so special because they are the basis of a human being.

Existence, what is the meaning of our existence? What is so unique about a human being? How do humans differ from other organisms? Are we the dominant species on Earth? What happens when we cease to exist? What is soul? Where do we go when we die? Are we reincarnated?

Knowledge,What is knowledge? What is it used for? Is knowledge needed? Why do we question? What is the importance of knowledge in our lives? If we all die in the end, what is the purpose of gaining knowledge when all will be lost when you die? Reason, What is reason? Is there truth? Is there an ultimate truth , needing no evidence and with no doubts or any retaliation from anyone else? Is all but a facade? Does science give reason? Does religion give reason? The never-ending conflict between Science and Religion , which is more convincing?

Values, What is life? Why do we need values? Is the purpose of living just to have good moral practices and to live a happy life? Why are values so important to human beings but not so to other organisms? (I do not have much experience in values and language. Of course my knowledge on the rest may also be not up to standard. However, I still wish to blog about these subjects , no matter how sensitive or complicated.)

Mind, What is mind? Mind , Body , Soul, what is the connection? What is thought? Do we all just have a homunculus inside of our brains?(extracted from Curious Incident of Dog in The Night Time <-- Great book , many philosophical ideas presented in a simple yet riveting way which captures the readers attention) Can other organisms think in the same way as us? If we have a heart , why cannot we exist without a brain?

Language , What is the origin of all language? Is language just a form of communication? Do only humans posses the gift of language? How do the other organisms communicate with one another? How are languages inter-related? In my later posts, I will tackle a few of these questions and give my own personal opinion. I could formulate an infinite number of questions from all these subjects, this is just listing a few.In my questions , I repeatedly mention other organisms. I wish to treat all life as equals and not with human superiority , thus the use of the word other organisms.We must not think of others as inferior to us. All life is equal , we are all part of this universe.

I shall continue to elaborate on some of this matters some other time. I shall also recommend good books, in my opinion, that deal with philosophical questions.

- The Universal Key

My own poem

I could not post on the wikispace ,thus i posted the poem on my blog.The poem analysis will be in the following post.
6 years in a place, where we must meet and face
challenges and obstacles,all set in place,
yet we were so young and chaste (meaning plain and simple).

We had fun learning,exploring ,having fun,and had the
occasional fights and strife, but we stuck together nevertheless,
until one day all that ends.

Good ole memories with friends,but some people do seem to change,
we couldn't see eye to eye, and thus our friendship was never the same again.

Another sadistic little thing, by the name of PSLE,
which drove us to a crossroads,where we may never meet again.

After 6 years in that place,where we had to meet and face,
challenges and obstacles all set in place,
while we were so young and so chaste(3rd meaning in dictionary),
I still can't stop recalling,what we went through those days,
these memories in my heart,will always have a place.

Poem analysis

I was unable to post on the wikispace as they needed me to sign up as a member first.I complied but to no avail.

Firstly,I do not think the author is a handicap.

The first stanza talks about the author and his old school motto which he does not remember.That could show that he did not like his school very much.

The second stanza mentioned the crows trying to hinder their singing of the national anthem.This, I think, is showing that the author was not really paying attention to singing the national anthem,instead being distracted by the black crows.

The third stanza states that his shoes were usually dirty especially on Wednesdays.This could show that the author was very active in sports and games,especially on Wednesdays,where maybe he has his CCA's or PE lessons.

The fourth stanza shows his admiration of the scouts working hard.

The fifth stanza could show that how he envied his rich friends having chauffeurs to pick them up after school.However,I genuinely d not understand why 7 to the power of 5 is unreasonable.

The sixth stanza shows Mrs Lee celebrating Chinese New Year though she is a Malay.That could show the harmony of the four races in Singapore.He also mentioned that the capital of Singapore was Singapore which shows that though it is a small country,the people still live together without strife.

The seventh stanza shows that the author thinks highly of his friend when he chooses to answer his Chinese Multiple-Choise Exam with all A's.This could show that the author admired bravery.

The last stanza showed that the author was thoroughly enjoying himself,pushing somebody's wheelchair and even his picturre was taken and posted in the yearbook.However,his eyes were closed which would have seemed slightly awkward.

Favourite Poet

"It is difficult for us to read that essay without reflecting that if Poe plotted out his poem with such calculation, he might have taken a little more pains over it: the result hardly does credit to the method."My favourite poet is Edgar Allan Poe.He lost both of his parents , both proffesional actors, at the age of 3.His father abandoned his family and his mother died a year after.He was adopted by a wealthy man, John Allen,who sent him to the most prestigous schools in Virginia.He exceled in his studies but was later kicked out of his school as John Allen had owed money and did not repay them.He joined the US millitary but was again forced to leave because of financial difficulties.He then decided to write for a living which was theoratically impossible in the US during that time.However,he proved everybody wrong when his works became famous.is poems are epic and have many emotions in them.His poems and stories are written such that it invokes the reader to continue and ponder over the complicated affairs.They are truly very thoguht-provoking and of high literary standards.Poe died in 1849 and the most peculiar thing was that the last thing he said was "Lord help my poor soul."

Famous poems he wrote :Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827)
Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems (1829)
Poems (1831)
The Raven and Other Poems (1845)
Eureka: A Prose Poem (1848)

I do not want to put down the poems as they are extremely long

References:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/130