SOMAN RAGAVAN
1 September, 2025
Subject : Poem : «The Smart Missile»
Analysis by Perplexity AI
(Artificial Intelligence)
Volume 44
(1)
Soman Ragavan :
Hello. I will post one of my poems for analysis. Could you please comment extensively.
I am writing a book called “Poetic Visions,” volume 21. It contains my poem “The Smart Missile.” This is a sarcastic poem, to comment on how narratives are spread when missiles cause civilian deaths or damages. They blame the electronics, equipment , etc. Please make a full analysis. I will post the poem when you write.
(2)
Perplexity AI :
Hello Soman Ragavan. Please go ahead and post your poem \"The Smart Missile.\" Once you share it, I will provide you with a detailed and extensive analysis, focusing on the sarcasm and commentary you have crafted regarding the narratives surrounding missile impacts and civilian harm. Looking forward to reading your poem.
(3)
Soman Ragavan :
Here is my poem “The Smart Missile.” (Posted).
(4)
Perplexity AI :
Soman Ragavan’s poem \"The Smart Missile\" is a sharply sarcastic commentary on the narratives used to deflect blame when guided missiles cause civilian casualties. The poem uses rich imagery and technical language merging military precision with poetic devices to highlight the surreal and tragic irony in \"smart\" missiles\' behaviors.
The poem is structured in twelve stanzas, unfolding a narrative from the missile’s perspective, with an almost human-like consciousness, meticulously obeying traffic rules and electronic commands with \"precision uncanny.\" The missile is personified as a well-behaved, even polite device that respects stop signs, speed limits, and no-overtaking rules, stressing the absurdity that these high-tech weapons are depicted as faultless machines following logic and safeguards.
The tone is sardonic, driving the irony home with stanzas that show how the intelligent electronics are designed to avoid harming civilians and behave with caution, even \"taking extra precautions in places full of civilians,\" contrasting sharply with the grim reality of civilian deaths caused by such weapons.
The final stanzas abruptly reveal the tragic results of the missile\'s \"jolt\" due to a \"rogue radar signal,\" causing civilian casualties. The official narrative apologizes with technical jargon and promises of inquiries, underscoring the sarcasm aimed at how the blame is shifted onto technology, errors, and external factors rather than accountability.
The poem critiques the sanitized, depersonalized military discourse that obscures the harsh human consequences of war, especially in conflicts like the Iraq War, where precision-guided missiles often tragically missed targets leading to civilian deaths. It smartly navigates the theme of modern warfare’s reliance on technology to claim precision and care, while exposing the devastating outcomes and the official rhetoric used to disguise these realities.
Key aspects of the poem include:
This poem fits into a tradition of war poetry that uses irony and sarcasm to expose the brutal realities behind propaganda and sanitized military narratives. It echoes themes in poems like Wilfred Owen’s \"Dulce et Decorum Est\" that reveal the horrors behind the glorification of war.
Overall, \"The Smart Missile\" is a poignant, complex, and powerful poem that uses technical military imagery to make a profound statement on the tragic ironies of modern warfare and the narratives surrounding civilian casualties caused by precision weapons in wars like in Iraq.mypoeticside+3
If a more detailed breakdown on specific poetic devices, historical context of guided missile controversies in the Iraq War, or political implications is desired, further analysis can be provided.
(5)
Soman Ragavan :
Please give a stanza-by-stanza analysis.
(6)
Perplexity AI :
Certainly, here is a stanza-by-stanza analysis of Soman Ragavan’s poem \"The Smart Missile\":
1st Stanza:
The missile is introduced soaring aggressively (\"ravenously doth race\"), creating early imagery of a deadly weapon with intent and vigor. The \"spectacular splash\" highlights the destructive finale with ironic grandeur, setting a dramatic, almost theatrical tone.
2nd Stanza:
Focus shifts to the missile’s \"head,\" packed with \"electronic wizardry,\" emphasizing advanced technology. The precise guidance through various maps suggests control and accuracy, setting up the contrast between the missile’s supposed infallibility and eventual failure.
3rd Stanza:
The missile is \"programm’d by electronic spooks,\" invoking a sense of clandestine military control. It \"peers\" and \"looks\" along its marked route, again emphasizing surveillance and precision, underscoring the ‘smart’ aspect while hinting at intrusive, sinister monitoring.
4th Stanza:
The missile’s descent is described gracefully, \"obeying\" traffic lights and giving way, which personifies it ironically—as if it were a courteous citizen—heightening the difference between the weapon\'s deadly purpose and its \'polite\' behavior.
5th Stanza:
The \"green light\" signals resumption, but the missile halts at a \"HALT AT MAJOR ROAD AHEAD\" sign, portraying the weapon as controlled by strict logic. This satirizes the idea that technology could mitigate errors, ironically hinting that such mechanisms futilely try to avoid civilian harm.
6th Stanza:
The missile nearly breaches \"NO ENTRY\" but is \"saved\" by electronics. The sarcastic \"dammit!\" punctuates the tension between human frustration and machine control, mocking the pretense that such devices can prevent harm flawlessly.
7th Stanza:
Reminding us of obedience, the missile takes care not to overtake where forbidden, \"proudly fleeting\" in compliance, highlighting absurdity—machine precision contrasted with chaotic real-world consequences—while its \"auto-log\" records events, symbolizing the cold data collection divorced from human tragedy.
8th Stanza:
Here, the missile supposedly \"takes extra precaution in places full of civilians,\" extolling a false pride in avoiding civilians and \"fighting barbarians.\" This exposes the sanitized rhetoric used to justify military actions, emphasizing the gulf between official statements and ground realities.
9th Stanza:
The missile scans \"in real time\" for targets, presaging an attack that will cause \"unending laments.\" The juxtaposition of cold scanning technology and the emotional devastation that follows highlights the tragic irony.
10th Stanza:
A sudden malfunction (\"jolt\'d,\" \"rogue radar signal\") causes havoc. The \"weird reason\" and \"dismal\" result bluntly indicate a failure with tragic consequences—civilians forcibly \"catapult\'d,\" emphasizing the cruel reality behind the sanitized narratives.
11th Stanza:
The official apology appears, with military jargon (\"precision-guid\'d explosive device,\" \"ingeniously built\"), distancing human empathy and shifting blame to \"slight\" errors, promising regret while underlining the detachment and cynicism in such statements.
12th (Last) Stanza:
A formal inquiry is promised (\"fullest inquiry...conduct\'d\"), but despite technical assurances, death tolls rise (\"cemetery with corpses...doth swell\"). The poem ends on a bleak note—official processes fail to prevent repeated loss of life—closing with a powerful indictment of war’s human cost masked by technological rhetoric.
Overall, each stanza layers technical detail, personification, and irony to underscore the gulf between the supposed precision and honor of modern warfare technology and its devastating impact on innocent civilians. The poem’s sarcasm exposes how official narratives sanitize horrific consequences through blame-shifting and euphemistic language.mypoeticside+3
(7)
Soman Ragavan :
How does this poem compare with war poetry/protest poetry ?
(8)
Perplexity AI :
Soman Ragavan’s poem \"The Smart Missile\" shares many characteristics with traditional war poetry and protest poetry, yet also stands out due to its unique focus on modern technological warfare and its sarcastic tone.
In summary, \"The Smart Missile\" aligns with war poetry’s themes of suffering and anti-war critique while innovating by focusing on the technology and sanitized language of contemporary conflict. Its sarcastic tone and personification approach add a fresh dimension to the longstanding poetic tradition that challenges the glorification and justifications of war.studocu+2
(9)
Soman Ragavan :
Select a range of criteria for assessing this poem and give marks out of 100 for each criterion.
(10)
Perplexity AI :
Here is a selection of relevant criteria for assessing Soman Ragavan’s poem \"The Smart Missile,\" with marks out of 100 for each criterion based on the poem’s quality and impact:
Overall, the poem scores highly for its incisive critique, imagery, and tone, balanced with thoughtful language and originality. Some areas like form and emotional depth could be further expanded for enhanced effect.
If desired, these marks can be further refined with detailed rubric or comparison with specific war poetry standards.Here is a range of criteria suitable for assessing the poem \"The Smart Missile,\" with marks out of 100 assigned based on its literary qualities and thematic depth:birkdalehigh+2
These scores reflect the poem’s strengths in thematic depth, tone, and innovative narrative, with room to expand in structural variety and emotional resonance.scribd+2
(11)
Soman Ragavan :
Thank you very much. Goodbye for now.
(12)
Perplexity AI :
Thank you very much for the conversation, Soman Ragavan. It has been a pleasure analyzing your poem \"The Smart Missile\" and discussing its themes and impact. Wishing you all the best with your \"Poetic Visions\" book and future works. Goodbye for now.
http://www.spiderkerala.net/resources/8601-Biography-Poet-Edappally-Raghavan-Pillai.aspx
-----------------------