The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Resources

Curious about the man behind the poem? This bio will give you a good idea of what kind of guy Randall was.

Five lines not enough for ya? Click to read more (longer) poems by Jarrell.

Here's Randall on, well, a bunch of stuff.

Check out the poet Robert Lowell's poem titled, "Randall Jarrell."

Think you can't make a video out of a 5 line poem? Think again.

Being a ball turret gunner is definitely not a job for the faint of heart, or the claustrophobic.

Before listening, take a second (okay, 10 seconds) and read the poem aloud yourself. Then, listen to how Randall lays it down.

Hear Jarrell read poems at the 92 Street Y in NYC in 1963.

It looks like Randall was quite the ladies' man!

Shmoop could hardly recognize Randall without his signature beard.

At long last, the answer to that burning question: Dog person or cat person?

Here's a picture of Jarrell during his military service.

This article on the circumstances of Jarrell's death gives some valuable insight into his life.

Here's the book that contains "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner."

You can browse through this one and see what Randall can do when he lets himself use a few more lines.