"Target Area" by Peter Roberts

Peter Roberts "Target Area" is an influential poem that exposes the reality of war. The poem depicts a bombing mission targeting an enemy village, beginning with the entry of the bomber into the target area and ending with its escape. Peter Roberts gives a vivid description of the bombing raid from the perspective of the bombardier. Roberts describes what the bombardier endures, observes, hears, and encounters during the raid.
The theme of the poem is the sights and sounds of war throughout the eyes of the bombardier. Peter Roberts expresses this by writing how the bombardier feels during the raid, "they have us! First a couple then a third, then dozens of them like a giant bird" This simile generates the effect that he feels scared and hesitant. …