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Yusef Komunyakaa
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Dien Cai Dau (Wesleyan Poetry Series) Paperback – September 15, 1988

by Yusef Komunyakaa (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 68 ratings
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Poetry that precisely conjures images of the war in Vietnam by an award-winning author.

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  1. Print length
    72 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Wesleyan University Press
  4. Publication date
    September 15, 1988
  5. Dimensions
    5.4 x 0.3 x 7.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0819511641
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0819511645
  8. Lexile measure
    NP
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"So finely tuned are Komunyakaa's images, so faultless his vision, that the reader sees precisely what the poet recalls . . . A powerful must-read for those who have forgotten those days"―Booklist

"So finely tuned are Komunyakaa's images, so faultless his vision, that the reader sees precisely what the poet recalls . . . A powerful must-read for those who have forgotten those days"―Booklist

"Komunyakaa makes a major contribution to the body of literature grappling with Vietnam ―a poetry that pierces the artificial border between moral and aesthetic engagement."―Poetry



"The best writing we've had from the long war in Vietnam has been prose so far. Yusef Komunyakaa's Dien Cai Dau changes that."―William Matthews

From the Publisher

5 1/2 x 8 trim. LC 88-5761

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wesleyan University Press; First Edition (September 15, 1988)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 72 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0819511641
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0819511645
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ NP
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.99 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 0.3 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

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Yusef Komunyakaa

Yusef Komunyakaa

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4.6 out of 5 stars
68 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Case Quarter
    5.0 out of 5 stars somber dispatches
    Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Diem Cai Dau and Warhorses could be companion pieces. the poems in Diem Cai Dau focus on the u.s. military presence in vietnam with precision and detail of range which later expands in scope, setting sights on the history of war in the later collection.

    there's a close-up intensity in Warhorses which is clarified in Diem Cai Dau as seen in lines in the poems Starlight Scope Myopia:

    Gray-blue shadows lift
    shadows onto an oxcart.

    Making night work for us,
    the starlight scope brings
    men into killing range.

    ...........................

    This one, old, bowlegged,

    you feel you could reach out
    & take him into your arms. You

    peer down the sights of your M-16,
    seeing the full moon
    loaded on an oxcart.

    and Roll Call:

    Through rifle sights
    we must've looked like crows
    perched on a fire-eaten branch,
    lined up for reveille, ready
    to roll-call each M-16
    propped upright
    between a pair of jungle boots,
    a helmet on its barrel
    as if it were a man.
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  • S. Agusto-Cox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unveiling the realities of war
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Yusef Komunyakaa‘s Dien Cai Dau is another collection of Vietnam War poetry. The poet, who received the Bronze Star and edited The Southern Cross, dedicates this book to his brother Glenn, “who saw The Nam before” Komunyakaa did. His poems put the reader in the soldiers’ shoes, allowing them to camouflage themselves and skulk around the jungles of Vietnam from the very first lines of “Camouflaging the Chimera.” Beyond skulking in the jungle, hunting the Viet Cong, Komunyakaa discusses the weight of war as soldiers trudge through the landscape with their equipment and what they’ve done and seen. Weaving through the tunnels looking for the enemy or searching the thick forest, soldiers are constantly reminded of their emotional and physical burdens, though they find joy in some of the smallest moments.

    Read the full review: [...]
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry 101 from a master
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I highly recommend this book: the imagery, the way he describes even the most horrific of acts...he does so in a way that is almost too understandable...what i mean is, when we talk about war and terror these days we talk about the gore that we see, the bombed buildings, the bloated bodies on the sea...anything to grab attention, viewers, hype...and I think our generation has become desensitized to the horrors of war.....but here he does none of that. here the tragic can not be ignored...simply because of the way he lets us in to witness his experiences...o, ii wish i had the words to describe this....

    Anyway, get it. read it. digest. and read again.
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  • Larry in SF
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best
    Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This poetry is clear and right on the mark. Specifically, a voice from my war, Vietnam. I was a grunt infantryman in the field and a combat artist, so the author and I probably shared some very similar experiences. We veterans all want to write the book, tell our story, but most of us haven't found the words yet. I am always looking for my voice in someone else's, and here is one of them.
    One person found this helpful
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  • D. Scott Humphries
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to find is easy
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Hard to find titles always easy to find and buy at a good price. Poetry from the Viet Nam experience.
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  • Andrea M. Roach
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dien Cai Dau
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2008
    Yusef Komunyakaa uses such beautiful language to describe the horrors of war that it draws the reader in allowing us to almost see and feel what these young men experienced in the frightening and chaotic days of Vietnam. This work is written with intense emotion and love. It should be read by every American.
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  • kitty frau
    5.0 out of 5 stars This poetry collection is incredible! Some of the poems ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This poetry collection is incredible! Some of the poems make you feel the Vietnam war around you, but, in general, I don't think they would be too uncomfortable for a vet to read, and I know a lot of Vietnam vets.
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  • C. Medine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Poems About the Vietnam War
    Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This poetry is beautiful--the subject, the Vietnam War and its violence is tough. But I was drawn in by the poems. I recommend.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    One of the best collections of Vietnam war poetry written by a veteran. Gives insight into the experience of African-American soldiers who fought, whose voice is still under-represented in the literary record.
    Report
  • Angel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Political, not preachy.
    Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This collection of poetry focuses on the human experience, and unapologetically tackles difficult political and psychological issues in a way that shows you the aftermath, letting you decide, instead of telling you what to think. It is beautifully written.
    Report