Welcome To Hiroshima Essay, Research Paper

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.