Upon the beginning of Mary Jo Salter’s “Welcome to Hiroshima” materializes
as a visual holiday to a different country. However, the detail of imagery
reveals a different sort of poem. The theme of the poem is a gloomy look at how
humans destroy each other. The careful imagery of the lingering effects of war,
the devastation of human life and the shadowy unknowns of the future through
images of shock, guilt and numbness bring the event to life. The persona
recounts the bomb and admits its’ devastating effects. Describing the bomb
with a simile “like a beer”(6) gives a pleasant appearance.. The persona
describes the bomb with a tone of wonder and awe. Images of ‘foam” and
“thirst” suggest a quest for more knowledge. The awestruck persona wants to
know more about the unimaginable event. The longing for knowledge is
established. The persona begins to describe the devastation left behind. The
description of the water is one of “blood” and “scum”(10). Then, in
disbelief the persona says the water is in the “morning cup of tea” (12).
The persona describes the “memorial museum”(22) with a tone of shock through
the next few lines of well thought out language. Images of burning and melting
immediately become visible to the mind. The persona chooses to use
personification throughout the next two stanzas. “Blistered grass” and
“strings of flesh”(24) are a few of the thoughts described by Salter’s
persona. The vision of melting flesh is communicated through the use of the
metaphors in the poem. In addition to the flesh melting, the depiction of
“gloves” to “coatsleeves”(23,24) is symbolic of skin hanging off bone
and muscle. The horrific actuality of war is envisioned through these words. In
the eighth stanza the persona begins to instill the feeling of disbelieving
guilt by stating “they should have left it all”(31). Then, switching to the
actual belongings left behind by the awful event, the persona notices “the
wristwatch of a child” (32). By using these terms, the persona lures the
attention back to the certainty of death. In addition, the persona reveals the
moment in time the bomb destroyed the people in the town. The persona draws
attention to the child’s watch by saying “it gestures”(35). Using these
words adds to the person’s awareness of death and guilt by suggesting the
child’s watch speaks. The persona is compelled to look further into the museum
to see more consequences of war. Looking back into the museum the persona sees
“death gummed on death”(39). The overwhelming thoughts of the thousands
killed during the bombing expound into illustrative pictures. Looking into the
glass display case once more the persona reveals a woman’s arm. The imagery of
her arm being blown off at “eight fifteen” is unmistakable by a piece of
glass impounded into her skin. Salter’s persona admits that hope and pain are
eternal and the realities of the events being repeated again are foreseeable.
The persona reflects numbness as she expects the effects of war to show herself
once more.