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

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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."

Does the use of "or" imply that the soldier has become indifferent to what he is doing? (4)

[Need help?]

No, not in this case. It may sound as though the village is not important to him since he has forgotten its name but then, in the rest of the poem, it is clear that the incident has deeply affected him.
The name is not important to him. It is what happened there, together with his own role in the massacre, that are what has stuck in his mind. The massacre itself overrides the remembering of the name.

A "colloquialism" has been described as "characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech".

This poem contains many colloquialisms. Quote examples of at least FOUR. (4)

[Need help?]

Here are four examples of colloquialisms:

"or something" (line 1);

"this afternoon" and "these orders" (line 2);

"this lady" (line 8);

"this little" (line 12);

"cracked me up" (line 13).

Why does the poet use these colloquialisms? (3)

[Need help?]

The colloquialisms help to reinforce the idea that this is a conversation. A soldier would not use formal language in conversation. The persona that the poet uses is that of a simple, ordinary man, just like many of the readers. One is able to identify with the man since he speaks our everyday language. Poetic language, on the other hand, would distance the reader from the man and the situation.

"Jargon" has been described as "the language -- and especially the vocabulary -- that is peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group", e.g. medical jargon or computer jargon.

Quote an example of jargon in this poem and say why the poet has chosen to use it. (4)

[Need help?]

Two examples of jargon are: "hopped the choppers" (line 6) or "Pinkville" (line 8) which is military jargon representing the area they were in?
The poet uses it to remind us that it is a soldier who is telling the story. It is the language of the soldier. It makes it more believable if the poet uses language that is typical of a soldier.

The poet uses "ellipsis" throughout the poem.

What is "ellipsis"? (2)

[Need help?]

"Ellipsis" has been defined as "the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction".

How does the use of ellipsis contribute to the poem and the poet's intention? (4)

[Need help?]

The ellipsis shows that the soldier is thinking and remembering while he is talking. The poet's intention is to remind us that this is a real soldier who was involved in the massacre. It is not merely the poet expressing an opinion on an event in which he played no part. The story is being told by an actual eyewitness. We are listening to him as though he is in conversation with someone.

"women, children, babies, cows, cats . . . "

What is the effect of the ellipses in this line? (2)

[Need help?]

The reader is left to fill in the other things which needed to be destroyed. The poet implies that the list just goes on. There was no end to the destruction. By breaking off his sentence, the soldier also conveys that he does not want to think about everything they destroyed. He would rather not name everything.

"we had all night to think about it."

What would the emotional impact of this have been on the soldiers? (4)

[Need help?]

It must have been traumatic. The soldiers would have had so much time to think about the senseless killing which was to follow the next day. They would have imagined themselves killing innocent women and children and destroying the livelihood of the village. They would imagine themselves with machine guns, mowing down women and children. It is not easy to see for a normal, stable person to be placed in the position of destroyer. It would have had a definite psychological impact.

"You shoot her, I don't want to shoot no lady."

Why do you think the poet speaks of "lady" and not "woman"? (2)

[Need help?]

Note: When a question is asked in this way, you must comment on both words: i.e. you must say why one is suitable but the other is even more suitable.
The poet does not use "woman" because it is a very general term, like "female". By using "lady" the soldier is showing respect. This then makes his killing of an innocent woman even more poignant.

Why is it appropriate for the poet to use free verse in this poem? (4)

[Need help?]

If the poet had used a rhyme scheme it would have been more formal and precise. The poet wants us to remember that this is an ordinary man who is telling us a story. The free verse makes it sound less like a poem and more like a story that is being told through a conversation.

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

Still 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?

Here are four examples of colloquialisms:

"or something" (line 1);

"this afternoon" and "these orders" (line 2);

"this lady" (line 8);

"this little" (line 12);

"cracked me up" (line 13).

"Ellipsis" has been defined as "the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction".

If the poet had used a rhyme scheme it would have been more formal and precise. The poet wants us to remember that this is an ordinary man who is telling us a story. The free verse makes it sound less like a poem and more like a story that is being told through a conversation.

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

Still 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?

Here are four examples of colloquialisms: "or something" (line 1); "this afternoon" and "these orders" (line 2); "this lady" (line 8); "this little" (line 12); "cracked me up" (line 13).

"Ellipsis" has been defined as "the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction".

If the poet had used a rhyme scheme it would have been more formal and precise. The poet wants us to remember that this is an ordinary man who is telling us a story. The free verse makes it sound less like a poem and more like a story that is being told through a conversation.

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?

Here are four examples of colloquialisms:

"or something" (line 1);

"this afternoon" and "these orders" (line 2);

"this lady" (line 8);

"this little" (line 12);

"cracked me up" (line 13).

Try another worksheet?

See also:

Knowledge4Africa.com

English4Africa homepage