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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
June Jordan's "The Bombing of Baghdad" is a powerful, searing indictment of war and its devastating impact on humanity. The poem juxtaposes the relentless destruction of Baghdad during the Gulf War with the historical atrocities committed against Native Americans, drawing a parallel between different eras of imperial aggression. Through vivid imagery and a rhythmic, almost chant-like structure, Jordan conveys the horror of the bombings and the profound grief that follows. The poem opens with a relentless litany of bombings: "for 42 days / and 42 nights relentless minute after minute / more than 110,000 times / we bombed Iraq we bombed Baghdad." This repetition emphasizes the scale and continuity of the violence. The enumeration of targets — schools, hospitals, highways, even sunlight and darkness — underscores the indiscriminate nature of the destruction. Jordan’s choice to list both what was bombed and how it was bombed — "we cluster bombed the citizens / of Iraq and we sulfur bombed the citizens of Iraq" — creates a sense of overwhelming, unending assault. In the second stanza, Jordan reflects on the personal disconnection from the distant violence: "The bombing of Baghdad / did not obliterate the distance or the time / between my body and the breath / of my beloved." This shift from the collective to the personal highlights the emotional toll of witnessing such atrocities from afar, while also underscoring the intimate human connections that persist despite the devastation. The poem's historical parallel emerges in the third and fourth stanzas. Jordan draws a connection between the Gulf War and the American expansionist campaigns against Native Americans, particularly referencing General Custer's attacks: "Custer/he pursued these savages / He attacked at dawn / He murdered the men/murdered the boys / He captured the women and converted / them (I’m sure) / to his religion." By invoking Custer, Jordan critiques the ongoing legacy of American imperialism and the myth of manifest destiny, which justified the slaughter of indigenous peoples in the name of progress and civilization. Jordan’s invocation of Crazy Horse, a Native American leader known for his resistance against U.S. military forces, serves as a symbol of resistance and mourning. In the fifth stanza, she writes, "And I am cheering for the arrows / and the braves," aligning herself with those who resist oppression rather than the oppressors. This solidarity extends to the victims of the bombing of Baghdad, as Jordan acknowledges the complicity and shame felt by those in the aggressor nation: "the enemy traveled from my house / to blast your homeland / into pieces of children / and pieces of sand." The poem concludes with a poignant reflection on grief and the need for solidarity in the face of such violence. Jordan writes, "how shall I negotiate the implications / of my shame?" and "My heart cannot confront / this death without relief / My soul will not control / this leaking of my grief." These lines express a deep sense of responsibility and sorrow for the suffering inflicted in her name. "The Bombing of Baghdad" is a deeply affecting work that combines historical critique with personal reflection. Through its relentless repetition and stark imagery, the poem conveys the immense scale of the violence and the profound emotional impact on those who witness and live through it. Jordan’s ability to connect the Gulf War to the broader history of imperial aggression offers a powerful commentary on the cyclical nature of violence and the enduring need for resistance and solidarity.
| Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NEWS REPORT, SEPTEMBER 1991 U.S. BURIED IRAQI SOLDIERS ALIVE IN GULF by DENISE LEVERTOV OPERATIONS: DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM by ELEANOR WILNER GULF WAR AND CHILD: A CURSE by ANNIE FINCH ON A LINE FROM VALERY by CAROLYN KIZER IN CALIFORNIA DURING THE GULF WAR by DENISE LEVERTOV APRIL 7TH, 1999 by JUNE JORDAN THE BOOK OF THEL by WILLIAM BLAKE SATIRES OF CIRCUMSTANCE. 6. IN THE CEMETERY by THOMAS HARDY |
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