We Lived Happily During the War

Kaminsky titled the poem, “We Lived Happily During the War.” The title becomes the first line of the poem because what could be read as the first line begins with the abrupt conjunction “And” (Line 1). The speaker assumes an intimate, surprisingly matter-of-fact tone with the reader. However, the reader quickly realizes that this matter-of-factness refers to the tragedy of bombings, pulling them into a discordant world. The diction choice of the plural “we” also potentially implicates the reader in the situation, furthering intrigue.

Kaminsky utilizes unnatural line breaks (enjambment) as well as widely contrasting line length. These effects help the reader enter into a state of cognitive dissonance. As opposed to ending line 1 with a natural pause after the comma, Kaminsky uses enjambment (or incomplete syntax at the end of a line) and ends the line after “we,” leaving the reader with a sense of anticipation. Further, Line 2 is comprised of only a single word, “protested,” reinforcing the conflict of the speaker’s emotional state.

With Line 4, Kaminsky begins a new sentence. However, the enjambment after “I was” forces the reader to slow down, attuned to the worsening crisis: “I was / in my bed, around my bed America / was falling” (Lines 4-6).