"The Colonel" by Carolyn Forche Essay Example

Introduction

The poem is about a veritable monster colonel who is visited by the poet. Even though the poet is welcomed warmly with food, the souvenirs of the past war kill the appetite of the poet. The Colonel generates feelings of compassion and brings a reader into the scene thus helping in sharing the horror that is experienced by the poet (Kusch 29). Colonel's move to make the visitor encounter the hostility was unimaginable and showed a sign of power that he had. Probably the colonel wanted to show the narrator the level of control he had during the war following the events that took place at the battlefield. The poem undoubtedly inflicts shock and disgust by redeeming some of the most terrible deeds and puts a permanent memory of war atrocities into the audience's mind. The actual accounts of the speaker's dinner with the colonel have created a strong communication that was anchored on a more passionate way in expressing the kind of power possessed by the host and the military brutality in the battlefield. The poem gives a testimony of the happenings in the house of a high ranking military man whose home is a fortress during a state of siege, and the colonel affirms to the speaker that he is above everyone from his deeds.

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Summary

"The Colonel" is about an experience Forche had in a colonel's house in El Salvador in which she was expected to communicate the happenings to President Carter. The speaker affirms that what was heard is true because the events are heart-breaking. Forche begins with the incident in which the colonel's wife serves coffee in the presence of other family members except for the son who is left to go out. The poem which reads like a dispatch from the frontline is plain horrors which can make the reader gasp for air because of the disgusting atmosphere. The presence of the speaker in the colonel's house is distracted by the pistol on the colonel's cushion which evidences the wrong side of the host, and the bare moon aroused the grieving emotions. The turn of events during the dinner is when "The colonel" exposes human ears onto the dinner table which disclosed the brutality of the military. The speaker also describes the presence of the broken bottles which are used as weapons and further gives an illustration of the barred windows. The colonel explains to the visitor the challenges that face governing before a parrot mimics a greeting and is stopped by the host. The other scary part of the poem is when the colonel expresses himself rudely brushing the dismembered ears unto the floor and rebuking the human rights.

Explanation of the Theme of Power

Colonel is a high ranking position in the military which represents power. The theme of power is when there is an individual who is seen to have privileges over others and has a responsibility towards the followers. The title of the poem is, therefore, justifying the theme of power. It is apparent that a colonel is a powerful man from the way he carries himself in the presence of the speaker. In the first stanza, Forche writes, "what you have heard is true. I was in his house" (Forsche 1). This means that he is an influential person who is not easy to access. In most cases, people in power are generally not accessible, and if they are obtained, there may be only a few selected individuals allowed in their presence. Probably Forche also did not believe that she could get into the colonel's house and that probably she would not receive the warm reception. While getting into an influential person's apartment or house, especially a senior military officer, a visitor may not expect a warm welcome.

The presence of a pistol on the cushion is another aspect of power because as expected, the people in power always need protection. Enemies may attack the colonel because killing him would perhaps mean that the opponents win the war because he is a leader. Having a gun for self-defense and to defend the family is therefore necessary considering his position in the military. Not every visitor that visits him may be genuine, and because he must always be cautious, he puts the gun near him to react to any situation that may threaten his life and that of his family. A person who is not in power is not subjected to as many threats as those who are in power because power attracts enemies who may be opposed to one's leadership (Anadon 8). The gun is, therefore, a symbol of power and that which protects the power. Owning a firearm requires licensing, but soldiers are trained individuals who are licensed to hold even the most lethal weapons. There is, therefore, an aspect of power present in almost every soldier because they have a privilege that does not exist among the civilians.

Finally, the manner in which the colonel's house is protected is enough to show that he is an influential person. Forsche explains that "Broken bottles were embedded in the walls around the house to scoop the kneecaps from a man's legs or cut his hands to lace" (Anadon 9). Not all homes have strong protections unless the homeowners are significant people otherwise known as VIPs who may have enemies all over. The broken bottles that were embedded on the walls signified strong security around the house that protected the occupants who may not be ordinary citizens. The way the colonel's home is protected is therefore evident his power and that of his family. Intruders who climb the wall are likely to have to have their kneecaps scooped thanks to the embedded bottles which are intended to provide security around the wall.

Evidence Paragraphs of the Theme

The colonel that Forsche deals with is a man of power who has money and rank who has a gun on the cushion and calls a maid with a gold bell. Nothing defines power more than money and position which is a complete recipe of important status in the society. In the poem, Forsche says that "[...] a pistol on the cushion beside him" (Forsche 5) which is enough to show a reader that the colonel defended his position with a weapon. Pistols are necessary accessories for military people because their enemies always target them. It is apparent that the colonel is likely to shoot and kill if need be particularly when he feels his position or life is in danger. The gun on the pillow is an indication that the colonel packs a deadly force and may pounce on anyone. He has to defend himself at all costs and being a military leader; his outfit cannot be complete without a pistol. The use of a pistol in the poem is therefore crucial in depicting the power portrayed by the colonel.

Also, evidence that proves the theme of power in "The Colonel" is the use of his house as an interrogation room. Forche asserts that "The moon swung bare on its black cord over the house," (Forche 4) gave the poem a deeper meaning to the theme of power because having been interpreted as a lamp in an interrogation room. It means that the colonel had the power to interrogate people and such powers can only be vested in an individual with certain privileges. It is just people in power who can examine those without power. The environment must be tensed, and the house is no longer a private residence of the colonel but a tense place where people were interrogated. The atmosphere at the colonel's home is that of fear because, in the presence of interrogation, no one can be comfortable. Usually, investigations are never held in private residence, but in specified security, offices meant for the job. For the colonel's house to be used in the interrogation exercise involves a lot about his positions and the powers vested in him.

There is also an aspect of wealth in the poem which is evident when the colonel calls the maid using a gold bell. Gold is known for its high value, and the presence of it, therefore, represents the availability of wealth in the family. Forsche says, [...] a gold bell was on the table for calling the maid (Forsche 11) meaning that apart from having a servant, there are necessary, expensive accessories in the house. The presence of gold in the house signifies the level of wealth the colonel has that he uses to dominate others. People in power frequently use their wealth to suppress their subjects or followers. Power also means that the colonel can hire a servant to work for his small family which may perhaps not need a maid.

The relevance of the Theme Outside of the World of the Text

The theme of power is relevant in almost every aspect of life. Presidents and other world leaders have the privilege of leading people, and because of the power vested in their principal offices, they are provided with security personnel and armored vehicles (Nweke 164). Because of power, the leaders can also travel to different parts of the world using the taxpayers' money. Typically, the people in power are the representative of the people and can, therefore, negotiate for trade agreements on behalf of their subjects or followers. The power vested in the leaders also gives them the authority to make certain crucial decisions on behalf of their nations. Power generally comes with a responsibility that should not be abused. However, there are some leaders such as the former Iraq dictator, Saddam Hussein who misused his power and turned against his people (McFarquhar 1). The presence of power has however worked well with the leaders who do not take advantage of available weak institutions in their countries especially in Africa and Asia where there is a presence of dictators such as in the case of Syria. The nature of the presidency or the leadership is so crucial that elections were introduced in some parts of the world to enable the people to have a direct influence on who they want to lead them.

Extra Credit

"Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too" By Jim Hall is a poem that is about an individual with a lisp who attempts to explain the challenges facing the world and is frustrated because he does not want to Spiderman anymore. Hall says, "But I pull on da suit, da stinkin suit..." depicting his frustration with being a Spiderman (Hall 1). The theme of "Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too" is identity pronounces a person's exterior indicating how difficult it is to change who somebody is with the Spiderman's suit used as a person's exterior which does not affect personality. It is apparent that even the Spiderman is not happy with what he is and would want to be someone else despite the notion that he is a superhero. While "The Colonel" represents a theme of power in which a colonel is proud of who he is telling his story with pride, "Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too" presents a theme of identity pronounces a person's exterior which shows a man frustrated with his personality and would change to someone else (Arjun 12). The two characters in the two poems are entirely different and what differentiates them the most is the fact that one is the pride and another is not contented with what he is.

Conclusion

A theme of a poem is of great help in understanding the voice of a poet. The theme of power in the Colonel has been brought out clearly by Forsche in her account with the colonel. The power in the poem is shown by the unexpected events such as the package of dismembered ears and use of the colonel's house as an interrogation room. "The Colonel" has widely entailed Forche's story and explained every event that took place in the home of the colonel linking warfare and power. The readers of the poem can relate to the events taking place in the colonel's house and put themselves in Forche's situation. The poem explains the lifestyle of a soldier such as carrying guns with them even when they are comfortably seated in their houses.

Works Cited

Anadon, Jose. Power in Literature and Society: The" double" in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's The Autumn of the Patriarch. No. 125. Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame, 1989.

Forche, Car...