Facing It

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1988

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Summary

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Metaphor

The metaphoric use of the “black wall” (line 1) extends from start to finish: The speaker begins the poem with the black wall consuming his “black face” (line 1) and ends with the black wall revealing a young boy and mother. The movement from the disappearance of the internal self into the revelation of a tender movement between family members largely affirms this poem as one of growth through self-reflection. By “facing” the wall, the speaker must grapple with not only the literal density and presence of it as something he cannot move and must stare down, but also with the psychological and emotional face offs. The idea of “facing” is key in this poem’s function, since it has multiple meanings and when layered with the concept of facing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, the metaphor begins to take on numerous angles and dimensions.

Alliteration, Assonance, and Jazz

The musicality of this poem is prevalent as Komunyakaa employs alliterative tactics from the very beginning to set up language’s bittersweet melody: “My black face fades” (line 1). The alliterative sequence is apparent in “face fades,” with the monosyllabic count of quick beats in succession. Further, the repetition of the “a” vowel sound and “f” consonants in the last create a clear oral syncopation. It sets the stage for the entire poem, which generally maintains this simplistic but rhythmic energy, evident in later lines like “Names shimmer on a woman's blouse” (line 19). Here, the underlying music of the “m” bounces the line in a jazzy bop, particularly when reading the poem out loud. The poem is also written in free form, but there is a subtle bridge on the fourteenth line, when the poem shifts focus from the internal to the external. This change can be seen as an element of jazz as well, since jazz songs are typically free flowing but structured with verses bridged and separated with transitions such as this.