FREE ESSAY ON WELCOME TO HIROSHIMA

WELCOME TO HIROSHIMA

Ignominious Actions
Upon the beginning of Mary Jo Salter's "Welcome to Hiroshima" materializes as a visual
holiday to a different country. However, the detail of imagery reveals a different sort
of poem. The theme of the poem is a gloomy look at how humans destroy each other. The
careful imagery of the lingering effects of war, the devastation of human life and the
shadowy unknowns of the future through images of shock, guilt and numbness bring the
event to life. 
The persona recounts the bomb and admits its' devastating effects. Describing the bomb
with a simile "like a beer"(6) gives a pleasant appearance.. The persona describes the
bomb with a tone of wonder and awe. Images of 'foam" and "thirst" suggest a quest for
more knowledge. The awestruck persona wants to know more about the unimaginable event.
The longing for knowledge is established. The persona begins to describe the devastation
left behind. The description of the water is one of "blood" and "scum"(10). Then, in
disbelief the persona says the water is in the "morning cup of tea" (12). The persona
describes the "memorial museum"(22) with a tone of shock through the next few lines of
well thought out language.
Images of burning and melting immediately become visible to the mind. The persona chooses
to use personification throughout the next two stanzas. "Blistered grass" and "strings of
flesh"(24) are a few of the thoughts described by Salter's persona. The vision of melting
flesh is communicated through the use of the metaphors in the poem. In addition to the
flesh melting, the depiction of "gloves" to "coatsleeves"(23,24) is symbolic of skin
hanging off bone and muscle. The horrific actuality of war is envisioned through these
words. 
In the eighth stanza the persona begins to instill the feeling of disbelieving guilt by
stating "they should have left it all"(31). Then, switching to the actual belongings left
behind by the awful event, the persona notices "the wristwatch of a child" (32). By using
these terms, the persona lures the attention back to the certainty of death. In addition,
the persona reveals the moment in time the bomb destroyed the people in the town. The
persona draws attention to the child's watch by saying "it gestures"(35). Using these
words adds to the person's awareness of death and guilt by suggesting the child's watch
speaks. The persona is compelled to look further into the museum to see more consequences
of war. 
Looking back into the museum the persona sees "death gummed on death"(39). The
overwhelming thoughts of the thousands killed during the bombing expound into
illustrative pictures. Looking into the glass display case once more the persona reveals
a woman's arm. The imagery of her arm being blown off at "eight fifteen" is unmistakable
by a piece of glass impounded into her skin. Salter's persona admits that hope and pain
are eternal and the realities of the events being repeated again are foreseeable. The
persona reflects numbness as she expects the effects of war to show herself once more.
Bibliography
kennedy Gioia Literature