"Death Of a Ball Turret Gunner" Explained.

"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner," by Randall Jarrell is a poem that speaks of both the roughness of war and sometimes the all too real worthlessness of life. A ball turret gunner is one of the most dangerous jobs of any airborne crew member. Upon squeezing into this Plexiglas dome, the gunner has little or no room to maneuver. Most of the men choose the fetal position to compensate for the cramped area …

…die unnoticed is to die without a name. Most people in society do not want to die but these unlucky few were cast into the depths of war, and forced to fight a war whose purpose is long forgotten. In this poem Jarrell brought out the reality in war. War is not heroic, nor glorious, nor honorable, it is the complete opposite; War is futile, worthless, and apparently in war so is your own life.