Hello everyone!
Now i will be doing my HBL, task 2.
"We Slept With Our Boots On" -Steve Carlson
They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our rucks and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We're leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can't define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
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
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost sons
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren't born they're earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell
ANNEX A
1. Whose Point of View
Statement:
The poem is written from the point of view of a soldier involved in the Aerial bombing campaigns, targeting Al Qaeda and Taliban forces (Most probably Steve Carlson himself, as he was involved in the campaign)
Evidence:
"The noise is tremendous, terror I can't define"
Elaboration:
The poem is written in a first person perspective, on his experiences and fear during the campaign, as a paratrooper, to conduct aerial bombing in Afghanistan, which are aimed at Al Qaeda and Taliban, to stop all terrorist activities, in fear that history may repeat itself. (September 11 [911])
2. Situation and Setting
Statement:
The situation there was rather terrible, where fear and terror lingered in the atmosphere, and where morales were low, as death seems inevitable.
Evidence:
"Who knew hell was so close to God"-Fear and terror
"Dirty and tired and hungry and scared"-Low morale
Elaboration:
The soldiers (paratroopers) were all terrified, and they had to keep killing and killing,and it the pulling of the trigger was never ending. Also, they became paranoid, and everything they did, they took extra precautions, in case they were ambushed, which links back to the title, "We Slept With Our Boots On". Also, they were hungry, tired and dirty, and they no longer had the morale to continue fighting and killing.
3. Language/Diction
Statement:
The writer used many metaphors, and war related terms.
Evidence:
"Who knew hell was so close to God"-Metaphor
"We're leaving this bird whether we like it or not"
"Paratrooper reporting for duty sir"-War related terms
Elaboration:
The poet depicts the battle field in mountains peaks and hills as hell, to show the bad conditions. It also shows that the soldiers were near death, and could be shot dead anytime. Also, because the soldiers are mainly paratroopers, the poet emphasises this, by replacing the plane with the word bird. Next, there were many war related terms, such as "Paratroopers reporting for duty". This is allow readers to have a hint on what this fight is all about, and why it is started. For example, Paratroopers were commonly deployed when America and Afghanistan were having a war, as America started a aerial bombing campaign. This allows the readers to link this poem to true real life fights and facts, and allows them to understand it better as well.
4. Personal Response
Statement:
I feel that this poem is really good, depicting very clearly how the fights between America and Afghanistan (Al Qaeda and Taliban).
Evidence:
"Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir"
"My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins"
Elaboration:
Paratroopers were commonly deployed when America and Afghanistan were having a war, as America started a aerial bombing campaign. Therefore, the writer allows readers to link this to the events, which in this case, refers to fights between America and Afghanistan. Also, it depicts the feelings and emotions that the soldiers of America had, showing the morale, fear and terror or war. Hence, i can infer that the purpose of this poem was to show the world how scary a war can be, and to try persuade people not to support war, and not to participate in it.
That is about all!
Thank you!(:
Yours sincerely,
Mervin Lim
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