The emotional contradiction in “Song of Napalm” is very apparent just in its title. The word song would encourage a feeling of something lovely and somewhat celebratory. Napalm, certainly does not. The beginning of this poem also follows this pattern. “After the storm, after the rain stopped pounding. /we stood in the doorway watching horses/ walk off lazily across the pasture hill.”(Weigl lines 1-3) These words lead to a serene place with a strong feeling of relief. “We stared through the black screen, / our vision altered by the distance/ so I thought I saw mist.” (Weigl lines 4-6) At this instant, there is parallel created. He is interpreting his illusion. These projected images and mist, are the correlations which eerily resemble his experience of a smokey and caustic battlefield.
As “Song of Napalm” progresses, this jolting pattern continues. This man’s psyche is scarred from watching a body burn before his eyes, yet he seemingly chooses to stay unresolved out of attachment and respect. His wife attempts to reassure him throughout his torment, reminding him that he is safe. He continually shows his desire to let his grief go, but always concludes that nothing can change what he went through and points out that it cannot be denied.
This same unsettling vibe and reality is found in “Rite of Passage”. Another title implying a ceremony of sorts reveals a much different kind of significance than initially assumed. This child’s party, a welcoming and positive event, is being manipulated by the fact that children are behaving as aggressive men. Author Sharon Olds choice in words deeply describe this, “We could easily kill a two-year-old/ he says in his clear voice The other/ men agree, they clear their throats/ like Generals, they relax and get down to/ playing war, celebrating my son’s life.” (Lines 22-26) This is expressing the dualistic nature and irony in life. This loving mother is creating her experience of the celebration based on the cold hard truth. These young “men” before her are blatantly revealing their loss of purity and innocence.
In these poems, the main characters somewhat sarcastically admit their identities and attachment to less desirable parts of their world. Naming this poem Song of Napalm, for my wife, declares this man understands his hang up while trying to share it with his partner. It is his way of communicating that he knows he cannot change and that he sees that it is affecting their relationship. The mother in “Rite of Passage” is essentially coming to terms with the same situation. She uses odd humor and extreme descriptions as a way of expressing this understanding. This party is just as much for her. She is also stepping into the next phase of her life. She chooses not escape what she knows to be true, yet has a twisted version of what is happening, just like the husband haunted by his past in Vietnam.
Original video source
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiKzqcII0jQ
Original photo source
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/3171291163_1cce2be58c.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/groups/firesfiresfires/discuss/72157613213517343/&usg=__LgszxluB_opuY7UYmSPifdr-WuM=&h=334&w=500&sz=78&hl=en&start=0&sig2=I-5hzUqNhUIguGzGPMYF8g&zoom=1&tbnid=zSWm2XhU41Lx-M:&tbnh=131&tbnw=180&ei=Y96CTNCGGY6-sAPX48n2Bw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvietnam%2Bpics%2Bnapalm%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1227%26bih%3D541%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=114&vpy=221&dur=2429&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=142&ty=106&oei=Y96CTNCGGY6-sAPX48n2Bw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0
