Task 2


Complete the template provided in Annex A, focusing on (1) Point of View; (2) Situation and Setting; (3) Language/Diction; and (4) Personal Response, and post your response to Task 2 on your blog. This template is based on John Lye’s ‘Critical Analysis of Poetry’, and you can make reference to this in Annex B when in doubt.

1. Point of View

In this poem, the speaker is an American soldier during the Vietnam War who wanted the war to stop and strongly against modern warfare. This can be seen in first stanza line 1 where the poet wrote “America did not foresee”. This shows that the speaker had felt angry and mad by the great impacts of ‘Agent Orange’ used by the Americans during the ever-lasting Vietnam War, resulting many generations to be affected. Perhaps, the speaker was an American soldier who had experienced the war before, hence, he was able to see the dire consequences of modern warfare on the innocent people.

In addition, in second stanza line 8, the poet wrote “Nefariously America led astray” which tells us that the speaker felt that all these consequences were caused by the Americans. The speaker felt that the actions of the Americans were brutal and inhumane as they had caused many deaths and harmed the younger generations. Also, the Americans wanted to win the Vietnam War badly and thus used the highly dangerous ‘Agent Orange’ on the Vietnamese, however, unfortunately, they were unable to foresee the consequences caused by the use of ‘Agent Orange’ themselves. This can be seen in first stanza line 3 where “expecting others (The Vietnamese) to pay a high price” but the price was just too high for Vietnam to pay. “All the deceit continues to spread”. The hatred and sadness of the Vietnamese would continue to spread to younger generations. Also, in first stanza line 4,"tolling on the innocent and unborn", this shows that innocent people were killed and harmed by the use of ‘Agent Orange’. Therefore, the Americans had to "think twice" as the ‘Agent Orange’ would not only affected the Vietnamese, but also would affect themselves, thus saying that this war would never end.


2. Situation and Setting
- Emotional: "Toll on the innocent and unborn."

As the poet talks about the negative impacts of war, he relates to the depression of the innocent people who were killed in the midst of war. In this sentence, emotional conflicts are conveyed through harsh words used such "toll".

“All the deceit continues to spread”

In addition, in this line, the poet felt that the Americans were too cruel and brutal to have used the ‘Agent Orange’ in the war and felt unfair for Vietnam to suffer this horrendous treatment. Also, strong emotional conflict is conveyed through diction with the use of harsh words such as ‘deceit’ which means hatred.


- Saddening: “Generations untold WILL pay”

This shows that the situation was very saddening and helplessness as the poet felt that the modern warfare used in the war would do no good but only cause more harm on the younger generations who would suffer a lot. Thus, this shows the sadness and cruelty of war on the innocent ones.

3. Language/Diction

- “Potpourri”

In first stanza line 2, the poet used “Potpourri” which means a mixture of materials or substances. Therefore, in this poem, ‘potpourri’ is used to refer to the large-scaled mixture of deaths caused as a result of war, thus showing the great impacts of warfare on the people.
- “Toll”

In first stanza line 5, the poet used “toll” which means a payment or price that people have to pay. However, in this poem, “toll on the innocent and unborn” is used to the sacrificial of innocent lives in the war. Also, this depicts the pessimistic view of war where people were all killed and hurt in the war. Thus, “toll” is used to refer to the sufferings and sacrificial of lives which the innocent people have to pay.


4. Personal Response

From this poem, ‘Rainbow Death’, I quite agree to the poet’s opinions that war is brutal, unjustified, harsh, and will only bring unhappiness, sufferings and cause deaths. In a war, as both sides all battled with each other to win, they will resort to anything that is able to defeat their enemy. However, this will only cause more harm to the innocent ones. In this poem, the Americans resorted to use the ‘Agent Orange’ which were gas attacks to defeat Vietnam in the war. As a result, Vietnam had to pay a huge price and even affected the younger generations. In addition, I agree with the poet that there are many sacrificial of lives in a war, hence, I believe that we have to think twice before starting a war and should not make the innocent younger generations from suffering as ‘war are not over when war are over’, meaning that war will cause dire consequences even if it have ended.