Online Language Arts Lesson 2 Task 1: Rainbow Death

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

By Hubert Wilson

Hubert Wilson
Hubert Wilson was a Vietnam War veteran who served in the USAF Security Service. He prepped for about 14 months at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas before being sent to an Agent Orange hotspot. About half of them ended up in Da Nang, which was an Agent Orange hotspot, in the 6924th Security Squadron. The rest of them were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska, which was a more contaminated environment than Da Nang, with the 6984th Security Squadron

His health problems started with unexplained headaches and limb pains. His central nervous system also radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches, progressive limb pains and many more. No physician had ever diagnosed the specific illness. The heavily contaminated drinking water at Shemya during his year there as an intelligence analyst may be a reason for his symptoms. Organo-phosphate toxins may not run their toxic course until 20 to 30 years after initial exposure. Since he had mobility issues, he turned to writing just like his late Father.

Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant—contaminated with TCDD—used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War. According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects. From 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed.

The poem
This small poem speaks of a modern day ingredient of warfare that has caused appalling death and suffering – not only to its intended victims, the Vietnamese people, but also the service personnel that used or even just came into contact with “Agent Orange”. This poem may remind us that wars aren’t over when the wars are over.

Source: http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow

Online Language Arts Lesson 2 Task 2: Rainbow Death

Point of view

The poem “Rainbow Death” is from the Vietnam soldier’s point of view. The soldier is the poet, Hubert Wilson, and he had been sent to an Agent Orange hot spot before and so, he is trying to depict the damage that the Agent Orange had caused. He might have seen deaths or damages caused by the Agent Orange himself so he was very frustrated at the Americans because “America did not foresee” the “Toll on the innocent and unborn.”

Situation and setting

The poem depicts the war between Vietnam and America. “America did not foresee” the “Toll on the innocent and unborn.” and used the Agent Orange on the Vietnamese, trying to defeat them. However, the Agent Orange caused sufferings of the adult and children and even caused deaths and birth defects. The Agent Orange also caused appalling death and suffering, not only to the Vietnamese, but even the USA themselves. The poet who was an American soldier was sent to one of the Agent Orange hot spot, Shemya Island, Alaska, along with the 6984th Security Squadron. Hence, the poem was written with a background of the war between Vietnam and America and the use of Agent Orange in the war.

Language/ Diction

Irony

The title “rainbow death” is an irony itself because the author use the word rainbow to connect with death. Although the rainbow in the poem is about the Agent Orange but it is very hard for the reader to associate “rainbow” with “death”. Rainbow is usually about beauty and colorfulness but the title suggest that that rainbow which is the Agent Orange actually kills. Hence, this is an irony.

Alliteration

“thinking twice” is alliteration and it suggests that we should be thinking twice before starting a war. The use of alliteration emphasizes the phrase. “Execrable effects” is also alliteration. This phrase emphasizes on the effects of the Agent Orange as it caused many deaths and sufferings. The use of alliteration also suggests that how the people who are exposed to the Agent Orange suffers.

Personal Response

I am disturbed after reading the text. The poem is about the war between Vietnam and America and it talks about how the people suffered when they were exposed to Agent Orange. This makes me sad because many people were suffering and dead. Many babies were born with defects. Hence, I am very disturbed after reading this text.