Analysis Of Jarrell's "The Death Of The Ball Turret Gunner"
Beginning of paper
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 rom its dream of life.
I woke to the black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
....
Middle of paper
.... childhood into the
preeminent likelihood of his death during the "State" of war (line 1). He
describes the disconnection he feels from Earth and what he calls it "dream
of life" as if life only existed in birth and death (line 3). When he
awakens to "black flak" and "nighmare fighters" he seems to imply that all
that lies between birth and death is war (line 4).
The theme to this poem emerges in the last line with almost a plea
that he not be forgotten. When he says "they washed me ou ....
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Word count: 319
Page count: 2 (approximately 250 words per page)
