12The Vietnam Veteran Memorial and Yusef Komu.docx

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The Vietnam Veteran Memorial and Yusef Komunyakaa’s
“Facing It”

Yusef Komunyakaa, the author of "Facing It" served in the
Army. He wrote this poem, almost a decade after the Vietnam
War. The Vietnam War took place for a very long time in the
United States. Komanyakaa's "Facing It" is regarded as an
examination of the effects of war on people, especially the
Vietnam War. Since Komanyakaa was part of the war, it is easy
to conclude that his experiences from the war inspired him to
write the poem. The construction of Vietnam also said to
influence the writing of the poem "Facing it" by Komanyakaa.
This essay, therefore, analyses the significance of the Vietnam
Veteran Memorial to Yusef Komnyakaa's "Facing it".
The speaker of the poem tells his story in the first person
perspective. He has gone to visit the 'Vietnam Veterans
Memorial', which in turn spurs a series of flashbacks of the war.
The setting is in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the
memorial has been vividly described to the audience. The visual
representation of the memorial provides the persona with an
opportunity to think about his past, his present, and his future.
It is worth noting that the language used in "Facing it' is simple
and easy to follow. It is somehow informal, such that the
audience can easily relate to the persona. The persona speaks
simply and openly as if he is having a conversation with a
friend. The language does not follow the rules of grammar and
the writer, in fact, uses slang such as "dammit!" in his poem.
The poem also consists majorly of two to three-word sentences,
without order, which makes it look like the speaker was having
random thoughts. In addition, the poem has no rhymes in the

poem that makes it look lyrical. These are aspects of ordinary
conversations between people. The speaker's inability to focus
on one thing and instead, rambling and hopping from one
thought to another is important as this makes the audience feel
like they are part of the persona's experiences.
A close examination of the title of the poem leaves its audience
with suspense as the audience is left asking themselves "facing
what?" The title is a broad concept that leaves its readers to
explore their imaginations. Upon analysis, on a literal level, one
would say that the title "facing it" is about someone looking at
the memorial. Since the speaker is at the memorial, one would
simply assume that he is facing the memorial. However,
metaphorically, the "facing" would mean the speaker needs to
"face" his past experiences of the war and struggle to preserve
his composure.
The poem opens with "My black face fades/hiding inside the
black granite/ I said I wouldn't/dammit: No tears/ I'm stone. I'm
flesh" (Lines 1-5). Here, the speaker seems to be confused and
facing an identity crisis. His face is as black as the granite wall.
Despite being as tough as the granite, he is also weak and
human. He knows that he is bound to cry, because he is also
made flesh, and faces emotions (Marvin, 2003).
The speaker then goes ahead to explain his "clouded reflection"
(line 6), where he recalls the happenings of the past. His past
seems to haunt him "like a bird of prey" (line 7). The
comparison with the bird of prey shows the gravity of past
happenings and how they continue to affect his present life. He
says, "... profile of night/ slanted against morning" (line 8). It
suggests the divided self of the speaker, who is torn between the
experiences of the Vietnam war and his present moment. Even
as he emerges into a new day, the events of the war still hover
around him.
The speaker then looks the other way to the memorial, and
through the light, skims through the names in the memorial. He
says, "I go down the 58,022 names, /half-expecting to find my
own in letters like smoke (Line 14-16)"Through these lines, the

audience can see the depth and magnitude of the war. The
number 58,022 shows that many lives were lost in the war. He
expects his name to be there and that it would be engraved like
"smoke". Smoke, unlike the memorial, which was immovable,
was able to vanish easily (Marvin, 2003). The memorial, on the
other hand, would always be there, with people's names
engraved on it, as it reminded people of those who died during
the war. The reference to smoke makes the audience understand
how lucky the speaker feels for having narrowly escaped the
war and now glad for having survived.
The speaker comes across a name. He says "I touch the name
Andrew Johnson;/I see the booby trap's white flash," (lines 17-
18). The speaker seems to remember the Andrew Johnson from
war. These names do not remind him of the loss that came with
war. Instead, they remind him of the memories he shared with
them. The speaker realizes what despite their memories, they
did not share their ultimate end because his name was not
encrypted in the memorial.
The speaker also notices that "Names shimmer on a woman's
blouse/ but when she walks away/ the names stay on the wall"
(lines 19-22). The speaker seems to be having difficulties
comprehending how one would approach the memorial and walk
away like nothing happened. It was almost as if the memorial
had no impact on the woman, whatsoever. The speaker, on the
other hand, saw the names at the memorial and they reminded
him of his experiences. They changed him forever, and could
not understand why other people could not feel the impacts of
the war (Marvin,2003). The speaker concludes that despite the
consequences of the war, people had various ways of coping
with the aftermath. He realized that other people, despite
having been affected by the war, were still able to live a normal
life and undertake normal tasks.
The speaker then flashbacks by describing "Brushstrokes flash,
a red bird's/wings cutting across my stare. /The sky. A plane in
the sky." (Lines 23-25)The speaker clearly remembers what
happened in the war. He remembers seeing warplanes in the

sky; he then sees "A white vet's image floats/closer to me, then
his pale eyes/look through mine. I'm a window." (Lines 26-30)
The way that the vet looks at him makes him doubt his
existence. He wonders whether he is an apparition, a ghost, or
just alive. By referring to himself as a ‘window", it means that
his perceptions of himself have become lessened after visiting
the memorial. Instead of being flesh and stone as he had earlier
mentioned, the speaker now viewed himself as a window,
through which the white veteran was able to look at the wall.
The veteran does not seemingly see the persona of the play, but
it is clear that he has also had his share of experiences in the
Vietnam war as he peers into the wall.
At the end of the poem, the act of erasing names is juxtaposed
with that of a woman brushing a boy's hair. It says, "In the
black mirror /a woman's trying to erase names/ No, she's
brushing a boy's hair" (lines 31-33)
These lines leave the audience wondering who the woman could
be. The audience wonders it is the wife of a soldier with her son
that come to visit the memorial, or a mother remembering the
good times they shared with his dead son in his childhood. The
last line of the poem gives hope to humanity. It gives them the
idea of love that would sustain the future generations, even if it
does not necessarily prevent war from erupting.
Unlike at the beginning of the poem when the persona seemed
harsh and full of contempt, he seems to have changed his mind
at the end of the novel. It has become a turning point for him.
The speaker now understands the complexity of human emotions
and reactions, especially in difficult phases and historical
events. The speaker realizes that the woman's act of brushing
the boy's hair is simply a depiction of motherly tenderness
Through the poem, the author explicitly explores the theme of
conflict with regards to racism and the role it has played in
shaping the American history. At the beginning of the poem, the
speaker says "Black Face Fades". Clearly, he intends to reveal
to his writers that he is an African- American. Later, in
describing the white veteran, he says, "his pale eyes/look

through mine" (line 27-28). The use of a white veteran implies
that the persona, having visited the memorial, has begun to
understand that the war did not just affect the African-
Americans, but the whites as well.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is situated in the nation's
capital. It is built in a V-shaped manner and measures about 400
feet long. It has more than 58,000 names encrypted on the walls
to honor of the veterans that lost their lives in the Vietnam War
(Chapman & Ciment, 2015). The speaker of the poem has
described the Vietnam Veteran Memorial vividly. In this regard,
therefore, the conception of the Veteran Memorial has become
very successful in enhancing public awareness and maintaining
historical happenings.
Despite this poem being relevant to the people of America and
others that were affected by the war, it symbolizes all the
experiences that people undergo after a war. The poem "Facing
It" is a brutal narration of what war does to people. The
speaker, however, desires that people understand him, but wants
them to move on. He simply wants people to understand that the
past may never be erased because the memories shall always be
stuck with us.
References
Chapman, R., & Ciment, J. (2015). Culture wars: An
encyclopedia of issues, viewpoints, and voices. Routledge.
Komunyakaa, Yusef. "'Facing it'." (2000): 102-102.
Marvin, T. F. (2003). Komunyakaa's Facing It. The Explicator,

61(4), 242-245.
Exemplary
Proficient
Progressing
Emerging
Element (1): Responsiveness: Did the student respond to the
main question of the week?
9 points (28%)
Posts exceed requirements of the Discussion instructions (e.g.,
respond to the question being asked; go beyond what is required
[i.e., incorporates additional readings outside of the assigned
Learning Resources, and/or shares relevant professional
experiences]; are substantive, reflective, and refers to Learning
Resources demonstrating that the student has considered the
information in Learning Resources and colleague postings).
9 points
Posts are responsive to and meet the requirements of the
Discussion instructions. Posts respond to the question being
asked in a substantive, reflective way and refer to Learning
Resources demonstrating that the student has read, viewed, and
considered the Learning Resources and colleague postings.
7–8 points
Posts are somewhat responsive to the requirements of the
Discussion instructions. Posts are not substantive and rely more
on anecdotal evidence (i.e., largely comprised of student
opinion); and/or does not adequately demonstrate that the

student has read, viewed, and considered Learning Resources
and colleague postings.
4–6 points
Posts are unresponsive to the requirements of the Discussion
instructions; miss the point of the question by providing
responses that are not substantive and/or solely anecdotal (i.e.,
comprised of only student opinion); and do not demonstrate that
the student has read, viewed, and considered Learning
Resources and colleague postings.
0–3 points
Element (2): Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Synthesis: Is the
student able to make meaning of the information?
9 points (28%)
Posts demonstrate the student’s ability to apply, reflect, AND
synthesize concepts and issues presented in the weekly Learning
Objectives. Student has integrated and mastered the general
principles, ideas, and skills presented. Reflections include clear
and direct correlation to authentic examples or are drawn from
professional experience; insights demonstrate significant
changes in awareness, self-understanding, and knowledge.
9 points
Posts demonstrate the student’s ability to apply, reflect OR
Objectives. The student has integrated many of the general
principles, ideas, and skills presented. Reflections include clear
and direct correlation to authentic examples or are drawn from
professional experience, share insights that demonstrate a
change in awareness, self- understanding, and knowledge.
7–8 points
Posts demonstrate minimal ability to apply, reflect, or
Objectives. The student has not fully integrated the general

principles, ideas, and skills presented. There are little to no
salient reflections, examples, or insights/experiences provided.
4–6 points
Posts demonstrate a lack of ability to apply, reflect, or
Objectives. The student has not integrated the general
principles, ideas, and skills presented. There are no reflections,
examples, or insights/experiences provided.
0–3 points
Element (3): Professionalism of Writing: Does the student meet
graduate level writing expectations?
5 points (16%)
Posts meet graduate-level writing expectations (e.g., are clear,
concise, and use appropriate language; make few errors in
spelling, grammar, and syntax; provide information about
sources when paraphrasing or referring to it; use a
preponderance of original language and directly quote only
when necessary or appropriate). Postings are courteous and
respectful when offering suggestions, constructive feedback, or
opposing viewpoints.
5 points
Posts meet most graduate-level writing expectations (e.g., are
clear; make only a few errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax;
provide adequate information about a source when paraphrasing
or referring to it; use original language wherever possible and
directly quote only when necessary and/or appropriate).
Postings are courteous and respectful when offering
suggestions, constructive feedback, or opposing viewpoints.
4 points
Posts partially meet graduate-level writing expectation (e.g.,
use language that is unclear/inappropriate; make more than

occasional errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax; provide
inadequate information about a source when paraphrasing or
referring to it; under-use original language and over-use direct
quotes). Postings are at times less than courteous and respectful
when offering suggestions, feedback, or opposing viewpoints.
2–3 points
Posts do not meet graduate-level writing expectations (e.g., use
unclear/inappropriate language; make many errors in spelling,
grammar, and syntax; do not provide information about a source
when paraphrasing or referring to it; directly quote from
original source materials or consistently paraphrase rather than
use original language; or are discourteous and disrespectful
when offering suggestions, feedback, or opposing viewpoints).
0–1 points
Element (4):
Responses to Peers: Did the student respond to peer posts and
contribute professionally?
9 points (28%)
Responds to two or more peers in a manner that significantly
contributes to the Discussion.
9 points
Responds to one or more peers in a manner that significantly
7–8 points
Responds to one or more peers in a manner that minimally
4–6 points
Does not respond to any peer posts.
0–3 points
32 points
100%
25–28 points

78–88%
14–21 points
44–66%
0–10 points
0–31%
© 2015 Laureate Education, Inc.
Page 2 of 3
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further
reproduction prohibited without permission.
Komunyakaa's Facing It
Marvin, Thomas F
The Explicator; Summer 2003; 61, 4; ProQuest Research
Library
pg. 242

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
From "Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints,
and
Voices"
Located on the Washington Mall in the nation’s capital, the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a V-shaped, black granite wall,
measuring 400 feet (122 meters) long, inscribed with the names
of the more than 58,000 veterans who lost their lives in the
Vietnam War, listed in the chronological order in which they
died. Designed by Maya Lin, who at the time was an
architectural
student at Yale University, the $8 million, privately financed
monument was dedicated on November 13, 1982. The most
visited
memorial in Washington, D.C., the site was baptized by fire in
the culture wars.
The memorial was the inspiration of Jan Scruggs, who had
served in the war as a rifleman. He envisioned a memorial that
listed
by name every military person who died in the conflict,
spanning the years 1957 to 1975. Eventually, a total of 650,000
individuals made monetary donations for the project. On July 1,
1980, President Jimmy Carter approved the allocation of two

acres (0.81 hectares) on Constitution Gardens (located between
the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial) for the
National Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Although the idea for the memorial was widely favored, the
unveiling of Lin’s design led to acrimonious debate. Opponents
argued that it reflected an attitude of shame toward the war. The
design called for the wall to be set into an embankment, and
critics argued that it should be built above ground, not below.
They also contended that the color should be white, not black.
Moreover, the austere monument was said to lack patriotic
ambience. Those in favor of Lin’s design—many of whom
preferred a
nonpolitical memorial, so as not to honor war—said that it
reflected the nobility of sacrifice.
The praised the “extreme dignity and restraint” of Lin’s vision,
but industrialist and later presidential candidateNew York
Times
H. Ross Perot, who donated $160,000 for the design
competition, regarded the winning entry as a disgrace. Novelist
Tom Wolfe
denounced the design as “a tribute to Jane Fonda” and the
committee that approved it the “Mullahs of Modernism.” The
conservative magazine declared it “Orwellian glop” and called
on the Reagan administration to halt the project.National
Review
Others described it as “a black gash of shame.”
James Watt, the secretary of the Department of Interior, resisted
issuing a groundbreaking permit and did so only after
demanding that an American flag and statue be added. In
another compromise, two brief inscriptions, a prologue and
epilogue,
were added to the wall of names. After a three-day prayer vigil
at the National Cathedral in which the names of all the war dead

were read, the memorial was officially dedicated in a ceremony
attended by more than 150,000 people.
The flag, on a sixty-foot (18.3-meter) staff, was added in 1983,
and Frederick Hart’s bronze sculpture of three American
soldiers
was installed the following year; both were placed to the side of
the wall, rather than in front of it, as Watt had desired. After
years of more debate, a sculpture honoring women veterans was
added in 1993. A plaque was placed in the plaza area in 2004,
stating, “We honor and remember their sacrifice.” In 2006, an
underground visitor center was approved, but some veterans
denounced it as a reminder of Viet Cong tunnels. For most
visitors over the years, however, the power of walking along the
wall,
finding the name of a loved one inscribed on the surface, and
reaching out to touch it has triumphed over the design dispute.
Designer Maya Lin stands alongside the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial shortly after its dedication in 1982. The innovative
original design met with resistance, and several elements were
added. (James P. Blair/National Geographic/Getty
Images),
See also: ; ; ; ; ; ; American Civil Religion Anti-Intellectualism
Fonda, Jane National Review Perot, H. Ross September 11
Memorial
; ; ; ; .Vietnam Veterans Against the War Vietnam War Watt,
James Wolfe, Tom World War II Memorial
Further Reading
Scruggs, Jan C., and . . New York: , 1985. Swerdlow, Joel L. To

Heal a Nation: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Harper and
Row
ROGER CHAPMAN
© 2010 by M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
Persistent URL to this entry:
http://www.credoreference.com/entry/sharpecw/vietnam_veteran
s_memorial
APA
. (2010). In . Retrieved fromVietnam Veterans Memorial
Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and
Voices
s_memorial
Chicago
, s.v. " ," accessed September 17,Culture Wars: An
Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices Vietnam
Veterans Memorial
2013,
s_memorial
Harvard
‘ ’ 2010, in , M.E. Sharpe,Vietnam Veterans Memorial Culture
Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices
Armonk, NY, USA, viewed 17 September 2013, <from
s_memorial>

MLA
" ." . Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, 2010. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and
Voices
. Web. 17 September 2013.Credo Reference
Annotated Bibliography
Chapman, Roger, and James Ciment. Culture Wars: An
Encyclopedia of Issues,
Viewpoints and Voices. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis,
2015.
Chapman and Ciment come back to the history of the Vietnam
War by perceiving the proximity of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial arranged at the Washington Mall. The memorial is a
similitude of more than 58,000 veterans who passed on in the
midst of the Vietnam War. Regardless of the way that the
recognition was inspired by Jan Schruggs, the point was to
make sentiments and viewpoints about war and its shame and
furthermore issues of decency of relinquish and administrative
issues. Although there have been few artistic criticisms about
the memorial, the real power to mold the debate about culture
and the views linked with it has been built into the memorial. I
would use this source to know more concerning this historical
warfare and the likeness of such recorded minutes through
recognitions.
Marvin, Thomas F. "Komunyakaa's Facing It." The Explicator,
vol. 61, no.4 (2003): 242-245.
Thomas Marvin's investigation of Komunyakaa's poem
"Confronting It" make the reader facing the same experience of

the veteran fighter inside Vietnam’s war. Marvin solves
Komunyakaa's emotions like those of wounded and aged man
who saw every moment in the war and how he tries regaining
the recollections through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The
way of the commemorative wall that represented is aimed for
bringing the recollections of the dead and living in a focal
place. In the investigation, Marvin figures out how the writer
utilizes allegorical discourse, items, and images to draw out the
past, the present, and the outlook. Understanding the poem
gives an insight into feelings of fighters who experienced or
were affected by war. I would use the source for understand of
the poem a knowing the emotion of the memorial.

12The Vietnam Veteran Memorial and Yusef Komu.docx

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