Kissing in Vietnamese

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2014

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Kissing

Kissing is a typical sign of love, in this case familial love between a grandmother and her grandson. Kissing is universal, a sign that anybody from any culture can understand. The way Vuong uses this motif compares “Kissing in Vietnamese” with kissing in non-Vietnamese cultures. Midway, the speaker says “When my grandmother kisses, there would be / no flashy smooching, no western music”. (Lines 10-11) This makes a comparison between kissing in the western world, which seems flashy and showy, done to “western music” (Line 11) and “Kissing in Vietnamese” which takes on more seriousness. The word “smooching” (Line 11) which is what some people do, connotes something grotesque and flippant. By contrast, kissing is more sincere. To say there is no “flashy smooching” (Line 11) suggests that when his grandmother kisses, it is more sincere. In fact, he may be suggesting that his grandmother is incapable of “smooching” (Line 11) or giving a superficial sign of affection. When the grandmother kisses, she is expressing the knowledge that each kiss might be the last. The way the grandmother kisses seems more sincere, more internalized, literally taking in the smell and “sweat” (Line 15) like “drops of gold” (Line 15) into her body, relearning the person’s smells, because she knows death is around the corner. This particular way of kissing is part of what defines her as “Vietnamese,” as it becomes part of the language she uses to communicate.

Bombs, Exit Wounds, Fire

In contrast to kissing, the bombs, exit wounds, and fire are signs of conflict and danger. With the opening statement, the first four lines contrast the peaceful and beautiful natural environment of Vietnam with the destructive, foreign bombs:

My grandmother kisses

as if bombs are bursting in the backyard,

where mint and jasmine lace their perfumes

through the kitchen window (Lines 1-4)

The bomb drops into a space of nourishment: food grows in the garden and in front of the windows of the kitchen, where grandmothers prepare food for the family. After the war, the grandmother’s attempt to nurture her grandson by giving him affection is still disrupted by the memory of the bombs dropping. The speaker poses a harsh contrast between the love the grandmother wants to express and the danger that she believes still threatens her loved ones. Presumably, the grandmother would have known children who were burned by napalm, as well as boys who left the house “danc[ing] from exit wounds” (Line 9). The line “flames are making their way back / through the intricacies of a young boy’s thigh” (Line 7) likely refers to those kinds of events. It is significant to note that in this one short poem the speaker references three different kinds of weaponry, and three different ways people died during the war. There is only one sign of love, though and it is the act of kissing. The elements that destroy life are man-made, metallic, sharp, and used by people who are far away from the bodies of those who they kill. A person can shoot a gun, drop a bomb, or spread fire, killing strangers without looking into their eyes. The grandmother, by contrast, is coming into a distinctly corporal contact with the one she loves. The grandmother’s intimate, physical contact with the speaker underlines the contrast between the natural, physical manifestation of love and affection, and the inhumanity (and ease) of destroying bodies from a distance with weaponry.

History

The last full sentence of this poem begins “My grandmother kisses as if history / never ended” (Lines 18-19). In this case, history refers to the Vietnam War in particular, and how for many Americans, the war is the only frame of context for the nation. Since most Americans in grade school only learn of the war, all of Vietnamese “history” (Line 18) is the war, and the war is the totality of their history. The way that Vuong heightens the language to make “history” (Line 18) synonymous with war intentionally conflates the two to emphasize the way that history itself is distorted. It is ironic that Vuong writes “as if history / never ended” (Lines 18-19) since the flow of time, history itself, does not end. It goes on, as the war and its aftereffects also go on, even after major events of history are over. Vuong’s choice of words suggest that language also dehumanizes those who live through events. “History” (Line 18) is a small word that encapsulates large, abstract concepts. The word papers over the “mint and jasmine” (Line 3), all the dead bodies, and the memories that the survivors of “history” (Line 18) carry. For Vuong and his family this history is still repeating itself every day. “History” (Line 18) does not end; it goes on affecting the body of those who live through it. This is emphasized in the final line, where the grandmother kisses “as if somewhere / a body is still / falling apart”. (Lines 18-20)