2. Children were killed Bombs smashed those mirrors all the bones were charred Hearts turned to stone Laughter is bitter to burned mouth there was time Only to scream

4. The Vietnam War The war began in 1957 and ended in 1975. At that time, Vietnam was separated into Communist-ruled North Vietnam and noncommunist South Vietnam. North Vietnam wanted to end U.S. support of South Vietnam and to unite the north and south into a single nation. The United States and the South Vietnamese army tried to stop them.

7. Did the people of Viet Nam use lanterns of stone? Sir, their light hearts turned to stone. It is not remembered whether in gardens stone lanterns illumined pleasant ways. Did they hold ceremonies to reverence the opening of buds? Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom, but after their children were killed there were no more buds. Were they inclined to quiet laughter? Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth.

8. Did they use bone and ivory, jade and silver, for ornament? A dream ago, perhaps. Ornament is for joy. All the bones were charred. it is not remembered Had they an epic poem? Remember, most were peasants; their life was in rice and bamboo. When peaceful clouds were reflected in the paddies and the water buffalo stepped surely along terraces, maybe fathers told their sons old tales. When bombs smashed those mirrors there was time only to scream.

9. Did they distinguish between speech and singing? There is an echo yet of their speech which was like a song. It was reported their singing resembled the flight of moths in moonlight. Who can say? It is silent now.

10. The napalm bomb in combustion develops a temperature ranging from 900-1,300°C and burns for approximately three to fifteen minutes. There is a variation of the NP1, mixed with thermite, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus, which produces far greater heat to 1,500- 2,000°C. This is the NP2, or super- napalm.

14. Did the people of Viet Nam use lanterns of stone? Did they hold ceremonies to reverence the opening of buds? Were they inclined to quiet laughter? The questions are all in the past tense – What does it suggest Love for nature…

15. Did they use bone and ivory, jade and silver, for ornament? Had they an epic poem? Did they distinguish between speech and singing? Vietnamese is a tonal language

16. Sir, their light hearts turned to stone. It is not remembered whether in gardens stone lanterns illumined pleasant ways. Perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom, but after their children were killed there were no more buds. Sounds like military investigation Impersonal tone /journalist language cautious/vague answers Wiping out the next generation

17. Sir, laughter is bitter to the burned mouth. A dream ago, perhaps. Ornament is for joy. All the bones were charred. it is not remembered bombs, burning, charring. Compare with previous reference to bone which means ornament Alliteration emphasises the destruction

18. Remember, most were peasants; their life was in rice and bamboo. When peaceful clouds were reflected in the paddies and the water buffalo stepped surely along terraces, Peaceful pastoral/rural imagery

19. When bombs smashed those mirrors there was time only to scream. maybe fathers told their sons old tales. When bombs smashed those mirrors there was time only to scream. peace portrayed in the last 6 lines shattered

20. There is an echo yet of their speech which was like a song. It was reported their singing resembled the flight of moths in moonlight. Note the journalist language Beauty of their tonal language is reemphasised by the use of alliteration

21. Who can say? It is silent now. Denise Levertov ends with another question/ all the previous questions have not been answered ominous loss of a culture