Essay On Imagery And Irony In All Quiet On The Western Front

Many soldiers who come back from the war need to express how they feel. Many do it in the way of writing. Many soldiers die in war, but the ones who come back are just as “dead.” Many cadets come back with shell shock, amputated arms and legs, and sometimes even their friends aren’t there with them. So during World War I, there was a burst of new art and writings come from the soldiers. Many express in the way of books, poems, short stories and art itself. Most soldiers are just trying to escape. A lot of these soldiers are trying to show what war is really like, and people respond. They finally might think war might not be the answer. This is why writers use imagery, irony and structure to protest war. In literature authors use imagery to

But don't directly say it. Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. So ironically, these authors show irony. In All the Quiet On The Western Front, Paul gets a letter from his old school teacher raving about how great it is to join the war. Paul is enraged he says, “Iron Youth. Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk” (106). Paul gets almost offended by his teacher writing this to them. His teacher is praising them for their actions. Paul and his friends know they’re killing people, and it's making them age rapidly in their heads. No person who kills is young. It's ironic because all these kids are no less than twenty years old. No twenty year old is killing the French for their country, and no French man is twenty when they’re killing Germans. No one on either side is living like any twenty year old. In another poem Dulce Et Decorum Est, our author says, “The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.” (Doc B) This French quote means that its sweet and honorable to die for your country. But the context of the poem says otherwise. The poem states all these stanzas of sick words that are telling you the complete opposite. This ironic poem is also stating that your country and family will love you for what you did. But they will be blind for what actually happened. These