After the Noise of Saigon (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Walt McDonald
- First Published: 1986
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Vietnam War, Veterans, Hunting or hunters, Archery or archers
The Poem
Walter McDonald’s “After the Noise of Saigon” consists of nine three-line stanzas that present a lyrical, first-person description of a hunting trip. The prey is ostensibly a wounded cougar, but more significant, the speaker is creating a space to confront a wounded part of himself. That crazed, wounded aspect of his psyche, the result of his Vietnam experience, must be faced alone and in the wilderness. Though little hope for complete healing is suggested, the poem convincingly portrays a veteran doing what he must do to persevere in the present.
The poem...
[The entire page is 1608 words long]
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