Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Randall Jarrell's "Good-Bye, Wendover; Good-Bye, Mountain Home" is a poignant meditation on the transient and often overlooked lives of soldiers during World War II. Through its repetitive structure and evocative imagery, the poem captures the dislocation and anonymity experienced by servicemen and their families.

The poem opens with a list of Air Force bases, setting the scene for the nomadic existence of soldiers: "Wendover, Mountain Home, Lowrie, Kearns, Laredo: / Second Air Force fields." These names serve as geographic markers of a journey that many soldiers and their families undertook, moving from base to base, often with little permanence or stability. The acronym ORD (Overseas Replacement Depot) underscores the sense of impermanence, as these bases were waypoints on the path to deployment overseas.

The poem's focus shifts to the wives of these servicemen, traveling with their babies "From one room outside Lowrie to a room near Kearns." This line highlights the domestic upheaval and the strain on families, who were forced to adapt to constant movement and uncertainty. The repetition of place names like "Wendover" and "Kearns" creates a sense of monotony and inevitability, emphasizing the relentless nature of military life.

The mention of husbands "firing into sagebrush near Wendover, / Mesquite outside Laredo" conjures images of soldiers in training, preparing for the unknown challenges of war. The line "you're on Shipping. Kearns" suggests the finality of orders and the bureaucratic process that dictates their lives. The poem's refrain, "Or if it isn't Kearns, it might as well be Kearns," reinforces the interchangeable nature of these locations, reducing them to mere points on a map rather than distinct places with unique identities.

Jarrell's use of dialogue, with references to conversations with a first sergeant and a Wac (Women's Army Corps member), adds a layer of realism to the poem. These interactions underscore the impersonal and often frustrating nature of military communication. The phrase "The orders are cut" signifies the finality of military decisions, leaving little room for personal agency or deviation from assigned paths.

The repeated imagery of "wives on day-coaches crying, talking to sailors" captures the emotional toll of separation and the camaraderie found among those in similar circumstances. The soldiers "getting shots for cholera, yellow fever" emphasize the physical preparations for deployment, juxtaposed against the emotional farewells.

The poem's concluding lines, "The book is finished. I tell you you're not in it / And you might as well get used to it, you ORD's," encapsulate the sense of erasure and insignificance felt by many soldiers. Their individual stories and sacrifices are subsumed into the larger narrative of war, forgotten by history and reduced to mere numbers and orders.

"Good-Bye, Wendover; Good-Bye, Mountain Home" is a powerful reflection on the dehumanizing effects of war and the enduring resilience of those who lived through it. Through its repetitive structure and vivid imagery, Jarrell captures the dislocation, anonymity, and emotional strain experienced by soldiers and their families, offering a poignant reminder of the personal costs of global conflict.

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