Introduction to Kamikaze

Welcome! Today we are looking at "Kamikaze" by Beatrice Garland. This is a powerful and moving poem found in your AQA "Power and Conflict" cluster. It tells the story of a Japanese suicide pilot in World War II who decides to turn his plane around and come home, rather than completing his mission.

At first, you might think this is a poem about war and planes. However, it is actually a poem about internal conflict, the power of nature, and the conflict between a person and their culture. Don’t worry if it seems complex at first—we will break it down step-by-step!

The Context: What is a "Kamikaze"?

To understand the poem, we need to look at the social and historical context (AO3). During World War II, the Japanese military used "Kamikaze" pilots. These were young men who were expected to fly their planes directly into enemy ships, killing themselves in the process.

Key Context Points:
• Honour: In Japanese culture at the time, dying for your country was seen as the highest possible honour.
• Shame: If a soldier failed his duty or "showed cowardice," it brought immense shame upon his entire family.
• The Choice: The pilot in the poem faces a choice: die as a hero for his country, or live but be treated as if he were dead by his loved ones.

Did you know? The word "Kamikaze" actually means "divine wind." It suggests a power that is both holy and unstoppable.

Summary of the Poem

The poem is narrated mostly by the pilot’s daughter. She is telling her own children about their grandfather. The "story" follows this path:

  1. The Departure: The pilot sets off with a "shaven head" and a "cockpit full of weapons."
  2. The Turning Point: As he flies over the sea, he looks down and sees the beauty of nature (the fish and the boats).
  3. The Memory: Seeing the sea reminds him of his father and his childhood. This makes him value life too much to throw it away.
  4. The Return: He turns the plane around and goes home.
  5. The Conflict: Instead of being happy he is alive, his family is ashamed. They treat him like a ghost, refusing to speak to him for the rest of his life.

Key Takeaway: The pilot survives the war, but he loses his "life" anyway because his family and society reject him.

Key Themes

1. The Power of Nature

Garland uses beautiful, vivid imagery to show why the pilot turned back. He sees "dark shoals of fishes" flashing like "silver" and the "huge flag" of the waves.
Analogy: Imagine being in a dark room and suddenly seeing a beautiful garden outside the window. Nature acts like a "magnet," pulling the pilot back toward life and away from death.

2. Cultural Power vs. Personal Choice

The "Power" in this poem isn't just military power; it is the power of expectation. The pilot’s culture has a "silent" power over him. Even though he lives, the "silent" treatment from his family is a different kind of death. The poem ends by wondering which death would have been "the better way to die."

Language and Imagery (AO2)

"A shaven head full of powerful incantations"
An "incantation" is like a magic spell. This suggests the pilot has been "brainwashed" by nationalistic propaganda. He isn't thinking for himself at the start; he is under a "spell" of duty.

"The dark prince, muscular, dangerous."
Garland describes a tuna fish here. By calling a fish a "prince" and "dangerous," she reminds us that nature is powerful and deserves respect. It is the beauty and strength of the tuna that ultimately helps the pilot decide to live.

"And though he came back, my mother never spoke again in his presence"
The word "never" is very absolute. It shows the harshness of the conflict between the pilot and his family. The irony is that he returned to be with them, but by returning, he lost them forever.

Structure and Form (AO2)

The poem is written in seven stanzas, each six lines long. This regular structure might reflect the strict discipline of the military. However, inside that structure, there is a lot of enjambment (sentences running over the ends of lines). This suggests the pilot’s own emotions are "overflowing" and cannot be fully controlled by the military rules.

The Shift in Voice:
The poem starts in the third person ("Her father embarked..."), but later shifts into the first person ("...yes, grandfather’s boat"). This makes the poem feel more personal and sad, as we realise this is a family tragedy being passed down through generations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don't say he died in the plane: Some students get confused and think he crashed. He didn't! He turned back. The "death" at the end is a metaphorical death (social death).
• Don't ignore the daughter: Remember that the pilot isn't the one speaking. It is his daughter telling the story. This adds a layer of regret and distance to the poem.
• Don't forget the "Power" aspect: Since this is in the Power and Conflict section, always link your points back to how cultural power or the power of nature affects the characters.

Quick Review: Memory Aid

Think of the Three S's for Kamikaze:
1. Silver: The silver fish/nature that tempted him to stay alive.
2. Shame: The shame he brought home that made him an outcast.
3. Silence: The "silent" treatment from his family that was "the better way to die."

Comparison Hint: You can compare "Kamikaze" to "Remains" (both look at the mental impact of war) or "Poppies" (both look at how war affects the families left behind).

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! Just remember that the poem is about a man caught between two "powers": the power of his country telling him to die, and the power of nature telling him to live.