Reading a Poem Practice Session on Close Reading

Reading a Poem Practice Session on Close Reading Randall Jarrell’s “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

Purpose • The purpose of this exercise is to give you practice in analyzing a short poem. The questions are specific to this poem, but basically they all ask you to do the same thing: • Look closely at the words of the poem. • Look closely at their meaning. • Look closely at their sounds. • Ask yourself this: “Why this word and not a different one? ”

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner • Directions: Read this poem aloud and write down as much as you can about its sounds and meaning. From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died, they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

Context • Who is the speaker? • What situation is being described? • What do we know about him, and what words tell us of his situation? • B-17 during World War II

First Line • From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State. • Underline the words that seem important and think about them: – Why “sleep”? What does this say about the narrator’s life? – Why use a verb like “fell” instead of “walked” or “went”? – Why is “State” capitalized? Can you fall into this kind of State?

Second Line • And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. – What image does this suggest (being hunched in someone’s belly)? – What literally is the “wet fur”? What does it suggest figuratively? – How does this line set up a contrast to the previous line? – What noun is the referent for “it”? Does the “State” literally have a belly?

Third Line • Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, – Why “six miles” from earth? What does this image do for the poem? – What’s the referent of “its” here? – How does the word “dream” relate to the rest of the poem so far? – Why does Jarrell choose the verb “loosed”?

Fourth Line • I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. – How do the words and images this line relate to the previous lines? – What is “black flak”? Is this language an example of euphony or cacophony? – What are the “nightmare fighters”?

Fifth Line • When I died, they washed me out of the turret with a hose. – From what position is this narrator telling of his experiences? – Who is “they”? What effect does using this language have? – What has happened to him, and why is this a vivid way of describing it? – Why does he say “me” instead of “my body”?

Other Features • What is the writer’s view toward what he describes? • What controlling metaphor does he use for his experiences? • What do you think is his attitude toward war?