Attitude Towards War in The Soldier and Anthem for Doomed Youth The two poems that I will be comparing in this essay are: “The Soldier” By Rupert Brooke, and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” By Wilfred Owen. Both of these poems are sonnets and both are written during The First World War. Although both sonnets are set during the same time period and are about the same war, the poets have very contradicting views; these views are expressed in their work. The first poem; “The Soldier” is focused on the different meanings and aspects of dying for your country in a foreign land, or behind-enemy-lines. In a war as brutal and tragic as the Second World War, the death of a mere soldier is often neglected and cast aside. Therefore, the poet concentrates on not only the physical consequences and effects of his death, but the mental and spiritual ones too. The poet believes that because he is an Englishman he represents a small moving part of England. This leads him to believe that if he dies on the battlefield, the ground on which his corpse decomposes will become a tiny fraction of England. The poet believes that the only purpose of his death is to bless the land he dies on. “If I should die, think only this of me : That there’s some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England.” This is proof of the poet’s belief that if he is to die away from his homeland he will turn the ground he dies on into a piece of his homeland. This shows that he is patriotic and that even in death he feels he will be doing something to help his country’s cause in the war. In the same stanza the poet goes on the praise the rich and wealthy value his death will bring to the country he dies in. The poet sees England as a super... ... middle of paper ... ...e readers attention. After reading these two poems, I had a very different opinion of war. The references to “cattle” in the second sonnet and the patriotism in the first particularly helped me to understand war more intelligently. If three-hundred people die in a plane crash, it is seen as a tragedy. If one-million people die in a war, it is seen as a statistic. By understanding the emotions and opinions of people truly affected by combat, you can gain valuable knowledge and insight into the real horrors and atrocities of war. It is often the dream of schoolboys to go to war and fight. If they understood the more horrific and damaging aspects of conflict I am sure that they would not dream for a second, of going to war. That is why I believe these poems are very valuable in the modern world. They are an effective tool in the education of young minds.
My initial response to the poem was a deep sense of empathy. This indicated to me the way the man’s body was treated after he had passed. I felt sorry for him as the poet created the strong feeling that he had a lonely life. It told us how his body became a part of the land and how he added something to the land around him after he died.
Over many centuries, Poetry and song has been a way for people to explore their feelings, thoughts and questions about War & Peace. Rupert Brooke's “The Soldier” and Cold Chisel’s “Khe Sanh” provide two different insights into the nature of war. . “The Soldier” conveys a message of bravery for soldiers to go into war and fight while “Khe sanh” conveys a message about post-traumatic stress and the horrible factors of coming back into civilization after war.
The poet Wilfred Owen was one of many poets who were against war. He reflected this idea of anti-war in his poems, one of his poems called “Anthem for Doomed Youth”, mirrors most aspects of war all put together in this short still deep poem. An example of that would be when the speaker stated,” What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?”(1) The speaker asks is there any sound that marks our soldier’s death other than the sounds of church bell’s which are mostly rung to represent somebody’s absence? Clearly, the speaker sets anger as the tone of the poem through this question to show that soldier’s death is unremarkable.. The speaker compares the soldiers to a “cattle” which illustrates that soldiers are treated more like animals with no feelings and also shows how they are killed indiscriminately in war. Finally the line ironically contains an iambic pentameter which is a natural rhythm for such dark, grim, dull subject. The two novels, The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, and All Quiet on The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, both present a similar idea of how soldiers are killed out there in the front comprehensively and the dehumanization of war towards its soldiers. The first novel is set during the Civil War, and it focuses on the psychological aspects of one soldier named Henry Fleming and how his naive thoughts about war constantly change through the course of the novel. The second novel presents the life of a soldier named Paul Baumer and his friends who were faced with the terribleness of war and how severely it affected their lives. The Red badge of Courage and All Quiet on The Western Front are similar in the way of how the main characters develop through the novel to change from naïve and innocent men ...
are not free in service, you do what you are told and this is the same
Through reading this poem several times I decided that the message from the poem is that war is full of horror and there is little or no glory. Methods which I found most effective were Full rhyme and metaphor.
f rounding up the sonnet as well as emphasising complete grief over the loss of Youth. The contrast with the first stanza's violence makes the reader see the different aspects of war - what happens on the battlefield, and what happens at home. Owen's poem, 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' is more appealing to me because it deals with two contrasting realities of war. His first stanza highlights the wastefulness of war (deaths of young soldiers) while the second stanza, the mourning for the dead. His sarcastic and later quiet tone reinforce the stark contrast between the different aspects of war.
Therefore, by studying Slessor’s poems, students are able to gain knowledge of vigorous and potent messages and ideas through array of poetic techniques. Loss of identity is also conveyed in the quotes "Unknown seaman" and "Dead seamen". The term "Unknown seaman" is utilised to show us that once the soldiers die, their sacrifice becomes wasteful and worthless as they become unnamed and forgotten. The change in adjective from 'unknown' to 'dead' also demonstrates the anonymity of the soldiers which enhances the idea that with war there is always death. The loss of identity of the soldiers becomes evident in the term 'dead' as it does not make reference to any race or the soldiers allegiance. Therefore, the ideas that Slessor conveys in Beach Burial, enables students to develop their understanding of poetic techniques and powerful messages and
As a poet, Wilfred Owens wants to show the effects of warfare from the viewpoint of a soldier during a War. Owens uses his own experience as a fighter to capture the reader’s attention and get across his point. He often uses graphic imagery and words to depict his thoughts about war. Wilfred Owens, poems, “Dulce et Decorum est” and “Anthem for doomed youth” talk blatantly about the effects of warfare on the soldiers, their loved ones, and those who make an ultimate sacrifice by making a statement about the efficacy of war.
Wilfred Owen expresses his feelings about war in “Anthem for a Doomed Youth”, which revolves around the events that took place in World War I. Throughout the sonnet, the speaker talks bitterly about modern warfare, noting the harsh sounds of war and questioning the treatment of the soldiers that perish. In the octave, the speaker wonders what can be done to honor the soldiers that died, but realizes negatively that the soldiers only receive death instead of ceremonies. In the sestet, the speaker expands upon this idea of a proper ceremony for the deceased soldiers, saying that the families must be the ones to properly honor their dead. Owen’s use of the Petrarchan sonnet with a Shakespearean rhyme scheme, helps him express his frustration about war and its subsequent treatment of the dead.
Even with his prayer, and his wine-induced courage, the speaker still despairs. He compares himself to “the poor jerk who wanders out on air and then looks down” and “below his feet, he sees eternity,” when he realizes that “suddenly his shoes no longer work on nothingness” (5.12-15). It is as though he is submitting to the reality that, if he steps beyond the safe borders of the proven approaches to writing, there is no magic potion that will guarantee his success. Nevertheless, he appears to be willing to take his chances, and, ironically, he does so with this prayer, which is stylistically unconventional. In a desperate attempt to remind his readers that he was once considered a good writer in the event that this poem does not meet their traditional standards, he makes one final request: “As I fall past, remember me” (5.16).
Who does not cower in fear upon the thought of death? Almost everybody does! However, people have differing views on the abstract idea of dying. In examining the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? by Emily Dickinson and "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? by Dylan Thomas, it is evident that the poets use contrasting and comparative techniques in their unique presentations of the concept of death. In the poem "Because I Could Not Stop For Death? Emily Dickinson presents the idea of acceptance of death, whereas in the poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night? Dylan Thomas presents the idea of refusal and opposition to death. Despite the differences in theme, these two poets both use similar figurative language devices, such as metaphors, personification and alliteration as they explore their contrasting ideas pertaining to the concept of death. Through the use of their same literacy techniques, both of the authors have presented two very different perceptions on death: Dickinson's message is acceptance whereas Thomas?is rejection.
The simple definition of war is a state of armed competition, conflict, or hostility between different nations or groups; however war differs drastically in the eyes of naive children or experienced soldiers. Whether one is a young boy or a soldier, war is never as easy to understand as the definition. comprehend. There will inevitably be an event or circumstance where one is befuddled by the horror of war. For a young boy, it may occur when war first breaks out in his country, such as in “Song of Becoming.” Yet, in “Dulce et Decorum Est” it took a man dying in front of a soldier's face for the soldier to realize how awful war truly is. Both “Song of Becoming” and “Dulce et Decorum Est” are poems about people experiencing the monstrosity of war for the first time. One is told from the perspective of young boys who were stripped of their joyful innocence and forced to experience war first hand. The other is from the perspective of a soldier, reflecting on the death of one of his fellow soldiers and realizing that there is nothing he can do to save him. While “Song of Becoming” and “Dulce et Decorum Est” both focus on the theme of the loss of innocence, “Song of Becoming” illustrates how war affects the lives of young boys, whereas “Dulce et Decorum Est” depicts the affect on an experienced soldier.
Many people find it hard to imagine their death as there are so many questions to be answered-how will it happen, when, where and what comes next. The fact that our last days on Earth is unknown makes the topic of death a popular one for most poets who looks to seek out their own emotions. By them doing that it helps the reader make sense of their own emotions as well. In the two poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickenson and “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, the poets are both capturing their emotion about death and the way that they accepted it. In Dickenson’s poem her feelings towards death are more passionate whereas in Dylan’s poem the feelings
In this poem, she connects philosophical thinking of death and the poem, which breaks the restriction of time and space. She takes advantage of a large amount of rhetorical devices, for instance, symbolizes and metaphor to express her opinions about the relationship of death, and immortal. She makes efforts to model a different image of death; Mr. Death is not ruthless or relentless anymore. Death is the common and eternal topic in the world; philosophers from all over that word try to find out the truth about the death. There are some similarities between Dickinson’s opinions and Chinese philosophies. Life is short and unstable; however, death is destined and eternal. If we want to have eternity, we cannot pin our hope on the human body because it will die sooner or later. But, human beings’ spirit and humanity which are not controlled by natural laws which can exist forever. Therefore, it is unnecessary to be afraid of death. Treated him like your old friend-accept and welcome
In September, in the year of 1918, people started singing the Star Spangled Banner for the first time at sports events and since then, it has become a tradition. Many sing The National Anthem to show their allegiance or pride for their country. Some say we should continue with the tradition because it proves our love for and devotion to our country. However, America has become a melting pot. Since many today now consider themselves world citizens and don’t adhere to strictly American traditions, maybe the song is not relevant for our day. Truly, people should discontinue singing the National Anthem at sporting events because it conveys a symbol of war - not sports, it has nothing to do with our day, and not everyone sings The National Anthem.