Use_of_Imagery,_Situational_Irony,_and_Structure

In The Colonel, Carolyn Forche employs a significant amount of visual imagery to introduce the brutality of the colonel and further creates a brutal scene to echo her message. Readers are exposed to a homey, cozy atmosphere in the beginning of the poem with images of “daily papers”, “pet dogs”, and “cushion”. Further, Forche portrays the “daughter filing her nails” and the “wife carrying a tray of coffee and sugar” to stress this heartwarming feeling of a normal household. Because of the significant use of visual imagery, it is impossible for the readers to ignore the relaxing surrounding created and the fact that the author intends to bring out this feeling for further purpose. The foreshadowing of brutality can be seen through the use of words like “pistol” and “cop show”. In addition, Forche establishes this shift in the atmosphere when she includes “The moon swung bare on its black cord over the house.” This example creates a harsh, dark feeling for the readers and further foreshadows the coming of the violence and brutality of the colonel. Readers are exposed to this slight change in tone and are forced to wonder what lies ahead in the poem. Forche further utilizes this effect to its full capacity by referring to “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.” Here, the author continuously uses harsh imagery to imply that there is some mystery hidden in the colonel’s house that has not been revealed. The use of broken bottles embedded in the walls is unusual and therefore forces readers to wonder what message Forche intends to pass to readers. Forche also intensifies this effect to its full capacity when she eventually introduces the “many human ears” like “dried peach halves.” Readers can conclude that because of “some talk of how difficult it has become to govern,” the colonel has become rather strange in a way that the author did not dare to “say anything.” Further, Forche demonstrates the brutal side of the colonel by portraying how the human ears are swept onto the floor. Since brutal visual images and the slightly violent content are being used in this poem, readers can conclude that Forche intends to suggest the brutal influence the war may have caused the colonel to become both arrogant and violent. Throughout the situations portrayed in this poem, the use of irony can be found to show contrast between the situations. In the beginning, Forche uses irony when he portrays the homey feeling and the mentioning of the brutal images such as “pistols” and “broken bottles.” Further, the use of tropical, sunny images like “green mangoes”, “parrot” and “peach” bring out a contrast when placed next to dull, brutal images like “the moon swung bare on its black cord” and “human ears.” Since the author suggests that the colonel has become rather brutal because of his past, readers can guess why the author intends to bring out this contrast between the two different ironic situations. The use of irony can also be seen in the first sentence where the author speaks directly toward the audience. “What you heard is true, I was in his house.” Here, Forche admits the unforgettable memory occurred in the colonel’s house and further shows how she may have not wish others to know about this unexpected experience. The irony occurs when the author intends to keep her visit to the colonel’s house a secret but then writes every detail of the situation she encountered. Throughout the poem, the narrator, and probably the author herself, ironically keeps a calm tone when describing the brutality and violence she sees. Further, the narrator seems to understand the reasons to the colonel’s unexpected actions. All in all, Forche uses situational irony to demonstrate the contrast between the calm and the brutal situations as well as to point out the violence of a brutal man.