Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Lullabye", Janice Mirikitani explores the deep-seated trauma of Japanese American internment through the perspective of a daughter reflecting on her mother’s experiences. The poem addresses themes of displacement, silence, loss of identity, and the complex inheritance of trauma across generations. Through haunting imagery and powerful language, Mirikitani conveys the painful legacy left by the internment camps and the ways in which this historical injustice has shaped her mother’s life and her own understanding of identity, resilience, and belonging.

The poem begins with an image of silence and resignation: “My mother merely shakes her head / when we talk about the war, the camps, the bombs.” This opening line establishes the mother’s refusal to discuss the traumatic events she endured, hinting at the depth of her suffering and the layers of emotion she has kept buried. Her silence is not one of peace but of suppression, as if speaking about the internment camps and the war would bring forth a flood of unbearable memories. This silence becomes a barrier between mother and daughter, leaving the daughter to piece together her mother’s story through fragments, creating a sense of longing for understanding and connection.

The mother’s experience of internment is conveyed in a visceral way as she “wrapped her shell in kimono sleeves / and stamped it third class delivery to Tule Lake.” The image of “wrapping her shell” in the fabric of her kimono suggests a sense of vulnerability, as if she had to leave behind a part of herself, becoming only a “shell” as she was sent to the internment camp. The kimono, a traditional Japanese garment, symbolizes her heritage and identity, which is now reduced to a package labeled for “third class delivery.” This detail reflects the dehumanizing treatment Japanese Americans faced during internment, as well as the loss of dignity and agency that marked the experience. The phrase “stamped it third class” underscores the indignity of this forced relocation, reducing the mother to a mere item in transit, devoid of humanity.

Mirikitani introduces Japanese phrases to emphasize the cultural disconnection and identity crisis caused by internment. “Futokoro no ko,” which translates to “child at my breast,” and “oya no nai,” meaning “parentless,” reveal a dual sense of motherhood and abandonment. These phrases convey the paradox of being a mother while feeling stripped of her own parental foundation, disconnected from the cultural identity that she once had. By using Japanese terms, Mirikitani highlights the cultural heritage that was disrupted and forcibly displaced, a legacy that she feels both distant from and deeply connected to.

The poem then delves into the bitter irony of citizenship: “What does it mean to be citizen? / It is privilege to pack only what you can carry / It is dignity to be interned for your own good.” These lines critique the government’s justification for internment, exposing the absurdity of the claims that it was done for the “good” of Japanese Americans. The phrases “privilege” and “dignity” are used ironically, questioning the notion of citizenship that strips individuals of their rights and reduces them to prisoners in their own country. Mirikitani challenges the concept of citizenship that offers “peace of mind” only through forced compliance, suggesting that this imposed peace is anything but secure. By framing these ideas as “inalienable rights,” Mirikitani points to the hypocrisy of a government that claimed to protect these rights while simultaneously violating them.

The mother’s choice to “X’d the box marked ‘other’” when pledging allegiance reflects her estrangement from a nation that has betrayed her. This act of marking herself as “other” signifies a forced acknowledgment of her outsider status, despite her American citizenship. The line “pledging allegiance to those who would have turned on the gas mercifully” is a powerful indictment, comparing the internment of Japanese Americans to the genocidal practices of World War II. This comparison exposes the cruelty of internment, a practice that might have been masked as “merciful” or “necessary” by those in power but is ultimately a violation of human rights. Her mother’s compliance—X’ing the box—underscores the internal conflict between survival and dignity, as she resigns herself to a system that would rather treat her as a threat than a citizen.

The mother’s song, “shikata ga nai,” which translates to “it can’t be helped,” embodies the cultural expression of endurance and acceptance, a common phrase used to convey resignation in Japanese. This phrase reflects her deep-seated sense of helplessness, a forced adaptation to circumstances beyond her control. Her acceptance is not one of peace but of survival, acknowledging that resistance would only bring further suffering. This refrain becomes a tragic anthem for the Japanese American experience during internment, encapsulating the trauma, endurance, and emotional resignation required to survive.

The line “She rode on the train / destined for omission” captures the sense of erasure that defines her mother’s journey. The train, symbolic of forced relocation, becomes a vehicle for erasing identity, history, and autonomy. Her mother is “destined for omission,” suggesting that the government’s intention was to erase the presence and contributions of Japanese Americans, to render them invisible. The image of her cousin “who died next to her / gagging when her stomach burned out” provides a harrowing glimpse into the physical and emotional toll of internment. This loss is one of many that Mirikitani’s mother endured, illustrating the cost of being “omitted” from society’s narrative.

Mirikitani reflects on the weight of inherited trauma through her own song: “Watashi ga kadomo wa matte eru / I am a child waiting waiting.” This line expresses her longing to understand her mother’s experience, to bridge the silence that separates them. She feels like a child “waiting” for the “birth of my mother,” as if her true understanding of her mother has yet to emerge. This sense of waiting underscores the generational gap created by trauma, where the mother’s silence becomes a barrier to intimacy and understanding. Mirikitani’s search for connection and identity is bound to her mother’s experience, as she yearns to uncover the woman behind the silence, to truly know the person who has been shaped by such profound suffering.

In "Lullabye", Janice Mirikitani presents a deeply moving exploration of generational trauma, silence, and the complexities of identity within the Japanese American experience. Through her mother’s silence and resignation, Mirikitani reveals the emotional scars left by internment, scars that have been passed down through generations. The mother’s compliance, her quiet resilience, and her sense of helplessness are all products of a cultural expectation to endure, even in the face of profound injustice. Yet, her silence leaves the daughter yearning for understanding, for a deeper connection that remains elusive.

The poem serves as both a tribute to her mother’s endurance and a critique of the societal and governmental forces that forced her into silence. Mirikitani uses "Lullabye" to honor her mother’s sacrifices while also challenging the systems that imposed such suffering. The poem captures the complex legacy of internment, where the trauma of one generation becomes the silent inheritance of the next. Through "Lullabye", Mirikitani offers a voice to those who endured this history, transforming silence into a poignant reflection on identity, resilience, and the painful cost of survival.

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