Cheah 1

Matthew Cheah

Mr. Smith

IB English HL1

08 November 2020

Life’s True Value

Regarding his thoughts on life and death, famous 19th-century philosopher Arthur

Schopenhaur explains that “mostly, it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” The

eminent German theorist, renowned for his theories regarding nihilism, could have never foreseen

the momentous weight his words would have gained decades later, when his home country was

thrown into war along with the rest of Europe in 1848. Schopenhaur’s words and the subsequent

Revolutions of 1848 capture the paradoxical relationship between war and life. Poet Ocean Vuong

touches upon this same idea in his elegantly sentimental war poem, “Kissing In Vietnamese.” In

the poem, Vuong utilizes extended similes, vivid imagery, and juxtaposition to illustrate how one

comprehends life’s true value through experiencing the abject chaos of war.

Throughout the poem, Vuong primarily utilizes extended similes to forge a connection

between his grandmother’s love and her experience at war. He frequently compares her expressions

of affection to the violence of warfare, such as how she kisses “as if bombs are bursting in the

backyard” and as if “somewhere, a body is falling apart” (Vuong 2, 5). He does so to highlight the

connection between loss and love, in the sense that one fully appreciates life through experiencing

the trauma of death. War, a scene of explosions and corpses as Vuong describes it, allows the

grandmother to truly comprehend the value of life, simply since she has lost so much before. She

expresses her affection for her grandson in a savory way in order to preserve his existence, hence
 Cheah 2

why she kisses “as if to breathe you inside of her,” holding “you as if death also is clutching your

wrist” (Rottmann Llines 12, 16, 17). Love is the grandmother’s form of protection, a habit she has

adopted after witnessing death so many times throughout the war. She clings onto those she cares

for and tries to make them a part of her since she completely understands how precious their lives

are, keeping them close to make them inseparable from her so that she may never experience the

heart-shattering tragedy of losing them. She “kisses as if / history never ended,” appreciating life

with a universal intensity that refuses to tremble in the face of either war or peace (Lines 18, 19).

Ultimately, Vuong uses extended similes to capture this idea, illustrating masterfully to readers the

unabating passion that one regards life with after returning from the death-heavy scenes of war.

Overall, poet Ocean Vuong utilizes extended similes, vivid imagery, and juxtaposition to

convey the idea that war teaches those that experience it the true value of life by unleashing to

them carnage and destruction. “Kissing In Vietnamese” testifies to the beauty of life and the

atrocity of war, discovering a silver lining between the two in which only understanding exists.

Unfortunately, this idealistic notion oftentimes proves to be ungrounded in reality. Veterans

returning home from years of mentally-destructive combat and gore are often treated with

complete indifference from the citizens of the country they fought for, who are incapable of

comprehending the full drudgery of war, being physically removed from it. As a result, many

returning veterans face a life of solitude and alienation in their supposed times of peace. They lost

and understood the most, only to lose everything once more.


Meets Standard
(5 points)
Hook Strategy/ The hook is creative and
Introduction engaging, introducing the
(10 Points) main topic of the essay in
an interesting fashion
while also making a clear
and smooth connection to
the poem
Thesis Statement Thesis is clear, concise,
and argumentative; it
effectively and accurately
addresses all aspects of
the prompt
Topic Sentence The topic sentence is
clear, concise, and
argumentative; it
effectively supports a
specific argument defined
in the thesis statement and
provides a focus for
analysis in the paragraph
Textual Evidence Paragraph includes at
least 3-5 pieces of strong
textual evidence, with
context for the reader’s
understanding; all quotes
are woven and cited
correctly
Analysis Commentary Paragraph provides ample
commentary after each
piece of evidence that
effectively explains each
example and provides the
necessary analysis to
support the thesis
Approaching Standard
(3 points)
The hook is somewhat
engaging, though it could
be more creative in
capturing the reader’s
attention; the transition to
the poem is evident,
though not very effective
Thesis attempts to answer
the prompt, but is not
specific or concise
enough to provide clarity
for the argument
The topic sentence does
support the thesis
statement and provide
focus for analysis in the
paragraph, though the
argument could be more
clear and concise
Paragraph includes at
least 2-3 pieces of textual
evidence, though some
context is missing for the
reader’s understanding;
some quotes are woven
and cited incorrectly
Paragraph includes
commentary for each
example, though the
analysis is limited in
nature and does not
thoroughly explain each
piece of textual evidence
Cheah 3
Below Standard
(1 point)
The hook is either missing
or completely lacking in
creativity and engagement;
there is no clear transition
between the hook strategy
and the poem being
discussed
Thesis is vague,
underdeveloped, and/or
inaccurate; it does not
answer the prompt or
focus on the author’s craft
The topic sentence is
unclear, ambiguous, or
missing altogether; it does
not support the thesis
statement or provide focus
for analysis
Paragraph lacks the
necessary amount of
textual evidence to
effectively support the
thesis; context is missing
and quotes are woven and
cited incorrectly
Paragraph is limited in the
essential amount of
commentary needed to
express a thorough
understanding of the play;
analysis is simplistic and
does not effectively prove
the thesis

Conclusion Paragraph Conclusion is
(10 Points) enlightening, inspiring,
and relevant to the reader;
it effectively connects
back to hook idea or
leaves the reader with an
interesting idea to
consider
Syntax & Grammar Sentences are varied in
syntax, proving a
complexity of writing
with compound-complex
sentences and purposeful
simple and compound
sentences; there are no
noticeable grammar or
punctuation errors
Academic Vocabulary Academic vocabulary is
used throughout the
paragraph, bringing a
level of sophistication and
complexity to the
paragraph
Total: /50 Points
Conclusion is concise in
its summation and does
leave the reader with a
relevant and interesting
idea to consider, though it
is somewhat repetitive of
the thesis and introduction
paragraph
Sentences are varied in
syntax, commonly using
compound-complex
sentences, though there
are a few errors in
grammar and punctuation
Academic vocabulary is
attempted throughout the
paragraph, though there is
some slang or
sophomoric diction
Cheah 4
Conclusion is
considerably
underdeveloped and/or
simply repeats ideas
presented in the
introductory paragraph
Sentences are simplistic
and repetitive regarding
syntax; there are common
errors in grammar and
punctuation, such as
fragments, run-ons,
missing commas, etc.
Paragraph’s diction is
common, slang,
sophomoric, and/or
un-academic