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Read this excerpt from the poem, "Facing It," about the Vietnam War, by Yusef Komunyakaa:

I turn this way—I'm inside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial again, depending on the light to make a difference. I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to find my own letters like smoke. I touch the name Andrew Johnson; I see the b00by trap's white flash. Names shimmer on a woman's blouse but when she walks away the names stay on the wall. Brushstrokes flash, a red bird's wings cutting across my stare. The sky. A plane in the sky. A white vet's image floats close to me, then his pale eyes look through mine. I'm a window. He's lost his right arm inside the stone. In the black mirror a woman's trying to erase names: No, she's brushing a boy's hair.

Describe the aesthetic impact the author intends for this excerpt to have on the reader. Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.

The author intends for this excerpt to have a haunting and introspective aesthetic impact on the reader. The use of imagery throughout the poem, such as the names on the wall shimmering on a woman's blouse, the red bird's wings cutting across the narrator's stare, and the white vet's image floating close to him, creates a sense of surrealism and emotional depth. The juxtaposition of the physical setting of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with the memories and emotions of the narrator adds to the overall impact of the poem. The mention of the woman trying to erase names on the wall, only to be seen brushing a boy's hair, further accentuates the themes of loss, memory, and the lingering trauma associated with war. This excerpt leaves the reader with a sense of the weight of history and the enduring impact of war on individuals and society.

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The author aims to create a deep and reflective impact on the reader with this excerpt. Through vivid imagery like the names shimmering on the woman's blouse and the red bird's wings cutting through the narrator's gaze, a surreal and emotional atmosphere is established. The setting of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is juxtaposed with the narrator's memories and feelings, adding to the overall profound effect of the poem. The description of the woman attempting to erase names on the wall but appearing to brush a boy's hair highlights themes of loss, memory, and the lasting scars of war. The excerpt leaves a lasting impression of the weight of history and the enduring toll of war on individuals and society.

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The author wants to have a deep and thoughtful impact on the reader with this excerpt. Through vivid descriptions like the names shimmering on the woman's blouse and the red bird's wings catching the narrator's eye, a surreal and emotional atmosphere is created. The setting of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is contrasted with the narrator's memories and emotions, making the poem feel profound. The part about the woman trying to erase names but appearing to brush a boy's hair shows themes of loss, memory, and the long-lasting effects of war. Overall, the excerpt leaves a strong impression of the weight of history and the impact of war on individuals and society.