Essay Questions

How does Mena show the vulnerability of soldiers in the poem "So I was a Coffin?"

In this poem, Mena introduces the image of a spear, which is used to symbolize the expectations soldiers face to be brave and courageous. However, as the speaker tells us:

"I walked around Iraq upright and tall, but the wind began to blow and I began
to lean. I leaned into a man, who leaned into a child."

This image depicts the soldier's extreme vulnerability as he metaphorically shifts from a spear to a child due to the horrific realities of warfare.

What death does the speaker want in "Hero's Prayer?"

In "Hero's Prayer," we learn that the speaker wants an honorable and dignified death. He describes that this includes seeping "into the sand amidst a pile of enemies," or letting "glass and shrapnel embed into my skin." Overall, these images are compatible with ideas and expectations of heroism.

How does Mena enforce the message of his poem with style in "Marlboro Man?"

In this poem, Mena describes how "when there's smoke, there's bodies." He emphasizes that "only unfinished stories remain," as soldier's lives are cut short. After this, he uses his writing style to reinforce this point, literally cutting off one of his lines:

"Their text poured out upon the-"