The Tradition Of War Poetry
By comparing and contrasting a selection of war poems consider the
ways in which attitudes to war have been explored and expressed. When
considering poetry written post 1900 concentrate on a selection of
poems written by Wilfred Owen.
Humans have turned to poetry in many different instances as a way of
expressing them selves, using the best combination of words, in the
best order to express exactly how they are feeling at that moment.
Poetry is one of the most powerful means of communication that uses
words very sparingly, and often defines the era in which the poet
lived and died. I think that is why many poems are written about war,
as anyone who was involved in that experience would obviously have
strong views and opinions about their encounters, which they would
wish to express.
This essay will explore the tradition of war poetry. I will be doing
this by looking at a variety of poems from different wars and then
exploring the ways in which attitudes have been explored and
expressed.
An early expression of war poetry is to be found in an extract from
the play Henry V by William Shakespeare, before the final attack on
Harfleur. The situation in the poem is that Henry V is trying to rouse
his troops before battle by making war sound exciting and noble. I
think the purpose of the poem was to inspire his troops and to give
them courage when fighting; he does this by using a various number of
techniques. He creates very powerful images in his speech such as by
alliterating war in the line, "when the blast of war blows in our
ears." This rouses the troops psychologically for war but also creates...
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...have witnessed an
assortment of different views and attitudes towards the subject of
war.
Some poets have presented a positive image of war, and made it sound
exciting and noble, whereas others have put war into an unpleasant
light and looked at it with a negative view. None have been able to
ignore or not include in some way though, the amount of devastation
and loss of life war causes. Personal experiences also may have had an
effect on the way that the poet presented the subject. Overall I think
that Owen had the right view on war. We can see this clearly in his
preface when he talks of what war poetry should be about,
"This book is not about heroes. English poetry is not yet fit to speak
of them. Nor is it about deeds or ands, nor anything about glory,
honour, might, majesty, dominion, or power except war."
...n God but knowing he exists to the point of putting love, faith and destiny in one power. Owen marked his place within the hearts of those who surrounded him with his teachings, strong words of advice and encouragement.
Portrayal of War in the Pre 1900 Poetry Before 1900, war was always seen as a glorious thing. People truly believed in the words of the ancient writer Horace, "Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori. " This phrase can be translated, as "It is a lovely and honourable thing; to die for one's country". Pre 1900 war poetry was strongly patriotic and glossed over the grim reality of death, preferring instead to display the heroic aspects of fighting. If death was mentioned, it was only in a noble and glorious context.
are not free in service, you do what you are told and this is the same
A. Philip Randolph was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and once said “Freedom is never given; It is won.” Our American soldiers fight every day so we can stay free and have the privileges we have today. We do not just get to be free. There are people fighting for our freedom. However, the poem and the song both talk about fighting for freedom but they have a separate motive. Both the poem named “Will V-Day Be Me-Day Too?” by Langston Hughes and the song “American Soldier” by Toby Keith both have the same theme by freedom is worth fighting for and everyone wants freedom, but in the poem the soldier is fighting for freedom and in the song the soldier already has freedom.
The majority of Owen’s beliefs can be summarised by his three main goals. Firstly, Owen believed in the promotion of general happiness. Owen felt that happiness was “the goal of society”
How Wilfred Owen Uses Language and Imagery in His Poetry to Communicate his Attitudes of War
Overall Wilfred Owen shows that there is no triumph in war, he does this by using the dying soldier as an example. His main point is that the old saying: “Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori” is a lie.
Owen's poems the irony between the truth of what happens at war and the lie that was
The next line expresses the way in which he has no grave stone, just a
The writers of 'Joining the Colours' and 'The Send Off' both use poetry to express their feelings about soldiers leaving for war. Each have similar attitudes about the subject, but use different approaches to try and get their message across. Both question the popular concept of war, including ideas such as heroism and glory. Katherine Hinkson, the poet who wrote 'Joining the Colours', shows the scene from two different perspectives, that of the audience watching the soldiers and also her own point of view. Wilfred Owen simply shares his thoughts by describing the soldiers leaving from a station, although the effect is no less powerful. As Hinkson is a woman, she focuses more on a mother or wives point of view, whereas Owen gives more of the soldiers perspective.
Considered the leading English poet of the First World War, Owen is remembered for realistic poems depicting the horrors of war, which were inspired by his experiences at the Western Front in 1916 and 1917. Owen considered the true subject of his poems to be "the pity of war," and attempted to present the true horror and realities of battle and its effects on the human spirit. His unique voice, which is less passionate and idealistic than those of other war poets, is complemented by his unusual and experimental style of writing. He is recognized as the first English poet to successfully use pararhyme, in which the rhyme is made through altered vowel sounds. Owen’s distinct way of both writing and reading poems led to influence other poets in the 1920s and 1930s.
World War I impacted poetry profoundly. Poets who served in the war were using poetry to share their horrific stories about the hardships they faced. These poets became known as “war poets.” They wrote about the traumatic, life changing experiences that haunted them once the war was over. Intense poems started emerging that portrayed the mental and physical struggles soldiers faced. Two examples of the impact that World War I had on poetry is seen in the poems “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen and “Repression of War Experience” by Siegfried Sassoon.
Smile, Smile, Smile expresses Owen 's thoughts that the notions of war was not correct in the society and that they were mislead by
Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English author who considered himself mainly as a poet. A large part of his work was set mainly in the semi-fictional land of Wessex. In 1898 Hardy published a collection of poems written over 30 years, Wessex Poems his first volume of poetry. Emma Lavinia Gifford, Hardy’s wife, whom he married in 1874. He became alienated from his wife, who died in 1912; her death had a traumatic effect on him. He remained preoccupied with his first wife's death and tried to overcome his sorrow by writing poetry, he dictated his final poem to his first wife on his deathbed.
War consumes the youth of young men and completely alters a person. From numerous poems, it is made clear that war exhausts the youth of young men, and has left their lives with no meaning. These poems are “Dulce Et Decorum Est” and “Mental Cases” written by Wilfred Owen. Similarly, they both employ the same techniques, such as similes and metaphors. However, a somewhat different perspective is projected through the poem “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae, which dissimilitudes yet intensifies the main message. Whether from a more emotional perspective or from a physical view, war has devastated the prime time of many young men in multitudinous ways.