Robert Lowell "Women, children, babies, cows, cats"

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that the creator of Knowledge4Africa, Dr T., has passed away. Helping people through his website gave him no end of pleasure. If you had contact with him and would like to leave a message, please send us an e-mail here.

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Sonmy or Son My is a district in Vietnam which is divided into four villages, My Lai being one of them. "Pinkville" refers to a military description of the My Lai area.

In March 1968, American soldiers embarked on a "search and destroy" mission to uncover communist fighters, or "Vietcong" as they were known.

The American troops were landed by helicopter. Within three hours, between 350 and 500 Vietnamese civilians were killed in cold blood.

Hand grenades were thrown into civilian homes and the fleeing people were bayoneted. Others were grouped and executed by machine gun.

Victims were also beaten and tortured, and bodies were mutilated. Women and young girls were gang raped. Everything was burned, including houses, crops and livestock.

There was, however, no enemy fire and no Vietcong communist fighters were found. The soldiers were told to keep quiet about the incident.

Nevertheless, many soldiers did eventually speak out. The My Lai massacre thereupon caused a public outcry and led to a turning-point in American public opinion about the war.

This poem reflects the horrors of war, the deaths of innocents, the guilt at having participated and the loss of values.

The poet also conveys the bitterness and anger felt by the soldiers, using the style of an actual conversation, filled with the soldiers' jargon.

A NOTE ON ROBERT LOWELL

Robert Lowell was born in the eastern United States city of Boston in 1917. He attended Harvard University for about two years before transferring to Kenyon College where he graduated in 1940.

He suffered from bi-polar disease -- which has been described as a mental disorder that is characterised by periods of mania and depression.

He volunteered for military service during World War II but he was deeply shocked by the Allied bombing of German cities, with so many civilian deaths. He thereupon became a conscientious objector, for which he was jailed for several months and then had to do community service.

He later became an outspoken critic of American involvement in the Vietnam War. To highlight his opposition to this war, he even publicly refused President Lyndon Johnson's personal invitation to a prestigious Arts Festival held at the White House.

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

TEST YOURSELF!

Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:

"It was at My Lai or Sonmy or something."

What is significant about the repetition of "or" in this line? (3)

[Need help?]

The massacre could have happened anywhere because massacres and death did not only occur at this particular village -- they happened all over Vietnam. The poet's persona is so used to killing and destroying villages that he even forgets their names. It's just another village and another massacre to carry out.

"we was to burn and kill . . . "
"as we was coming up upon one area."

Why does the poet include concord errors in these lines? (2)

[Need help?]

It is not simply that the soldier is uneducated. The poet wants us to feel that the soldier was a real person, with a real person's imperfect way of speaking. The soldier was just an ordinary person, not someone who spoke perfect English.

Why can the discovery of the baby be regarded as ironic? (2)

[Need help?]

The soldier thought the woman was holding a gun, which is something dangerous. It turned out to be a baby, which is harmless.
When answering a question on irony, you must refer to both aspects. You cannot only answer: "He thought she was holding a gun" because this is only a part of it. You will not receive any marks if you do not give both aspects.

What was the woman trying to do if she had "one foot in the door"? (2)

[Need help?]

She was trying to escape from the soldiers. She was probably trying to close the door or perhaps run out through the door to try to escape the gun fire.

Why does the poet not include "men" in the title of the poem -- or in the line "standing, women, children, babies, cows, cats . . . "? (2)

[Need help?]

People expect men to be killed during war time because they were traditionally the soldiers -- it is only in recent times that women have been sent to war. People are more emotionally affected by the deaths of women and children than by the deaths of men, especially during wartime.

"As soon as we hopped the choppers, we started shooting."

What is meant by "innuendo"? (2)

[Need help?]

"Innuendo" has been described as "An indirect or subtle -- usually derogatory -- implication in expression" or "an insinuation" or "a hint" or "a suggestion of something".

Comment on the poet's use of innuendo here? (4)

[Need help?]

The poet is implying that the soldiers came out with all guns blazing. No one waited see if the enemy was there. They simply started shooting. The words convey his negative attitude toward the incident, revealing the callousness of the attack.

Would you say that this soldier is aware of his loss of values? Explain your answer. (3)

[Need help?]

The soldier is certainly aware of his loss of values. He makes it quite clear that he does not like the idea of killing a woman. In fact, he wants the commander to do it instead. Afterwards, he finds it difficult to deal with what he has done.

Quote two lines which reflect the callousness displayed by the soldiers. Explain your answer. (2 + 4)

[Need help?]

What about the lines:
"women, children, babies, cows, cats . . . "
and
"As soon as we hopped the choppers, we started shooting."
The first line shows that people are regarded as being the same as animals. The second shows that the soldiers started shooting without checking to see if there was an enemy to shoot at. It was mindless destruction.

"there was this little one-month-year-old baby."

Account for the age discrepancy when the soldier refers to the baby. (4)

[Need help?]

The soldier has no idea how old the baby is. In fact, the age is irrelevant. The point is that it is a very young child who does not deserve to be shot in cold blood. It helps to convey the soldier's emotional state of mind. He cannot believe that he has done such a terrible thing.

"It kind of cracked me up."

To what does the pronoun "it" refer? (2)

[Need help?]

"It" refers to the idea of shooting an unarmed woman and her innocent baby.

Identify the tone of this last sentence. (2)

[Need help?]

Do you think "anguish" or "despair at the thought of what he has done" would adequately sum up the tone?

Try another worksheet?

See also:

Knowledge4Africa.com

English4Africa homepage

This document is copyrighted. No part of it may be reproduced in any form whatever without explicit permission in writing from the author. The sole exception is for educational institutions which may wish to reproduce it as a handout for their students.

Robert Lowell

Women, children,
babies, cows, cats

Some more challenging questions!

Lorraine Knickelbein

Grens High School
Updated: 4 March 2014
Contact the English4Africa Subject Coordinator

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that the creator of Knowledge4Africa, Dr T., has passed away. Helping people through his website gave him no end of pleasure. If you had contact with him and would like to leave a message, please send us an e-mail here.

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

It is not simply that the soldier is uneducated. The poet wants us to feel that the soldier was a real person, with a real person's imperfect way of speaking. The soldier was just an ordinary person, not someone who spoke perfect English.

She was trying to escape from the soldiers. She was probably trying to close the door or perhaps run out through the door to try to escape the gun fire.

People expect men to be killed during war time because they were traditionally the soldiers -- it is only in recent times that women have been sent to war. People are more emotionally affected by the deaths of women and children than by the deaths of men, especially during wartime.

"Innuendo" has been described as "An indirect or subtle -- usually derogatory -- implication in expression" or "an insinuation" or "a hint" or "a suggestion of something".

The poet is implying that the soldiers came out with all guns blazing. No one waited see if the enemy was there. They simply started shooting. The words convey his negative attitude toward the incident, revealing the callousness of the attack.

The soldier is certainly aware of his loss of values. He makes it quite clear that he does not like the idea of killing a woman. In fact, he wants the commander to do it instead. Afterwards, he finds it difficult to deal with what he has done.

The soldier has no idea how old the baby is. In fact, the age is irrelevant. The point is that it is a very young child who does not deserve to be shot in cold blood. It helps to convey the soldier's emotional state of mind. He cannot believe that he has done such a terrible thing.

"It" refers to the idea of shooting an unarmed woman and her innocent baby.

Do you think "anguish" or "despair at the thought of what he has done" would adequately sum up the tone?

Try another worksheet?

See also:

Knowledge4Africa.com

English4Africa homepage

This document is copyrighted. No part of it may be reproduced in any form whatever without explicit permission in writing from the author. The sole exception is for educational institutions which may wish to reproduce it as a handout for their students.

Contact the English4Africa Subject Coordinator

Robert Lowell

Women, children, babies, cows, cats

Some more challenging questions!

Lorraine Knickelbein Grens High School Updated: 4 March 2014 Contact the English4Africa Subject Coordinator

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that the creator of Knowledge4Africa, Dr T., has passed away. Helping people through his website gave him no end of pleasure. If you had contact with him and would like to leave a message, please send us an e-mail here.

Have you looked at the questions in the right column?

It is not simply that the soldier is uneducated. The poet wants us to feel that the soldier was a real person, with a real person's imperfect way of speaking. The soldier was just an ordinary person, not someone who spoke perfect English.

She was trying to escape from the soldiers. She was probably trying to close the door or perhaps run out through the door to try to escape the gun fire.

People expect men to be killed during war time because they were traditionally the soldiers -- it is only in recent times that women have been sent to war. People are more emotionally affected by the deaths of women and children than by the deaths of men, especially during wartime.

"Innuendo" has been described as "An indirect or subtle -- usually derogatory -- implication in expression" or "an insinuation" or "a hint" or "a suggestion of something".

The poet is implying that the soldiers came out with all guns blazing. No one waited see if the enemy was there. They simply started shooting. The words convey his negative attitude toward the incident, revealing the callousness of the attack.

The soldier is certainly aware of his loss of values. He makes it quite clear that he does not like the idea of killing a woman. In fact, he wants the commander to do it instead. Afterwards, he finds it difficult to deal with what he has done.

The soldier has no idea how old the baby is. In fact, the age is irrelevant. The point is that it is a very young child who does not deserve to be shot in cold blood. It helps to convey the soldier's emotional state of mind. He cannot believe that he has done such a terrible thing.

"It" refers to the idea of shooting an unarmed woman and her innocent baby.

Do you think "anguish" or "despair at the thought of what he has done" would adequately sum up the tone?

Try another worksheet? See also: Knowledge4Africa.com English4Africa homepage

This document is copyrighted. No part of it may be reproduced in any form whatever without explicit permission in writing from the author. The sole exception is for educational institutions which may wish to reproduce it as a handout for their students.

Contact the English4Africa Subject Coordinator

Women, children,
babies, cows, cats

Lorraine Knickelbein

Grens High School
Updated: 4 March 2014
Contact the English4Africa Subject Coordinator

Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?

Try another worksheet?

See also:

Knowledge4Africa.com

English4Africa homepage