English essay “The Sorrow of Sarajevo” by Goran Simic, and “Dulce et Decorum” by Wilfred Owen both examine the theme of war. The poem “Sorrow of Sarajevo” is an account of the poets experience in Sarajevo during the siege, in 1990 Bosnia. The poem seems to depict a man in the middle of a warzone, surrounded by dead bodies, and wreckage, the narrator seems to appear to be all alone and is filled with sorrow as he witnesses atrocities. The poem describes horror, death, civilian casualties and lasting torment. As with the poem “Dulce et Decorum” was also an account of the poets experience during the First World War, which was a an event that brought too many people, pain, sorrow and bitterness. Many people were touched by terror of the war, and have written pieces of literature about the massacre ‘WW1’. When Wilfred Owen wrote this poem, he was aiming for people to understand the horror and tragedy that befell those involved. His poem is a magnificent description of a gas attack suffered by a group of soldiers in World War 1. The poet seeks to convince us that the horror of war far outweighed the patriotic clichés of those who glamorize war. His poem is one such elegy that presents to the reader a vivid, horrifying description of the war, aiming to illustrate that war is not romantic or heroic, but a senseless and devastating event. “Sorrow of Sarajevo” was set in an urban city in the 1990’s. Whereas in “Dulce et Decorum” was set in a battlefield in the trenches. Similarly both poems have the same idea and message they are sending; which is that going to war was a big mistake. “Sorrow of Sarajevo” is composed of 4 stanzas. It has no rhyme scheme, he uses enjambment and caesura. It also has short and simple sentences but therefor ver... ... middle of paper ... ...ling.” The punctuation had a huge impact on the image, because it gives us an idea about the tone and the emotions during this situation. Also the oxymoron “An ecstasy of fumbling,” seems odd at first, but perfect after, as a way to describe controlled panic, immediately awakened men within just seconds to find a gas mask. In conclusion, both poems are successful since the poets used strong images to convey their feeling about war. What the poets wanted to communicate to the reader was that war isn’t what we think it is, it’s not a good thing at all especially the scenery, both in the trenches or in the city. The poem “Sorrow of Sarajevo” helped me imagine how the civilian’s lives are effected by war in city other than a battlefield. It also made me realize that they were lacking resources and people were throwing away letters and memories into the garbage truck.
Using references and quotes from three wartime poems I will explain what they tell us about wartime life and the thoughts and feelings of civilians and soldiers. I will also clarify how the poets communicate emotional and moving responses to the disturbing war. The three poems that will be analysed are: · Route March Rest - by Vernon Scannell, · Night Raid - by Desmond Hawkins, · The Battle - by Louis Simpson. I have selected these poems because they contain both similarity and contrast. These aspects are important in order to produce a high-quality essay as they provide a more balanced view of the poems.
I see strong correlations between the two poems because they are both at face value about horrible violence situations but the poet chooses to write about issues surrounding them. This is a common approach that the poet takes through out the book. He is able to do so effectively because of his strong use of figurative
Both poems inspire their reader to look at their own life. In addition, they treat the reader to a full serving of historic literature that not only entertains, but also teaches valuable lesson in the form of morals and principles.
Autobiographies, diaries, letters, official records, photographs and poems are examples of primary sources from World War One. The two primary sources analyzed in this essay are the poems, “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen and “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae. Primary sources are often personal, written from the limited perspective of a single individual. It is very difficult for the author to capture their own personal experience, while incorporating the involvement and effects of other events happening at the same time. Each piece of writing studied describes the author’s perception of the war. Both of the poems intend to show to grave reality of war, which often was not realized until the soldiers reach the frontlines. The poems were both written at battle within two years of each other. However, the stark difference between the two poems is astonishing. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” gives a much different impression than “In Flanders Field” despite the fact that both authors were in the same war and similar circumstances. The first two lines in “In Flanders Fields” “…the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row.” are an image o...
Both poems would agree that patriotic propaganda is a method used to alter nation’s values and ideas. Although both poems differ in the portrayal of the patriotic message they both
In ‘Anthem of Doomed Youth’ Owen shows another version of the suffering- the mourning of the dead soldiers. When Owen asks “What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?”, his rhetorical question compares the soldiers to cattle as they die and suffer undignified. Owen uses this extended metaphor to confront us with the truth, that there are too many fatalities in war. As such, the soldier’s deaths are compared to livestock, to emphasise their poor treatment and question our perspective about soldiers dying with honour. With an overwhelming death toll of over 9 million during WWI, Owen depicts how the soldier’s die with the repetition of “Only the...” to emphasise the sounds of war that kills soldiers in the alliteration ‘rifles’ rapid rattle.’ Owen also illustrates the conditions that the soldiers died in and how they were not given a proper funeral in the cumulation ‘no prayers nor bells,/ nor any voice of mourning.’ Owen painfully reminds us that we have become complacent with the deaths of soldiers, seeing them as a necessary sacrifice during human conflict. Thus, Owen shows us what we have overlooked about war, that is, that it brings endless death and long-lasting grief to the surviving soldiers and the people around
The three narratives “Home Soil” by Irene Zabytko, “Song of Napalm” by Bruce Weigl, and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen all have the same feelings of war and memory, although not everyone experiences the same war. Zabytko, Weigl, and Owen used shifting beats, dramatic descriptions, and intense, painful images, to convince us that the horror of war far outweighs the devoted awareness of those who fantasize war and the memories that support it.
War is a patriotic act where one seeks the determination to lead their country. It can be viewed noble, cruel, inhumane and can make an individual a hero or a criminal. It effects everyone in a society, hoping their loved one is safe whether fighting in the trenches or waiting at home. It has led to severe individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Two poems in war literature “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen and “Facing it” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the authors’ different perspectives will be presented. Owen portrays war as a horror battlefield not to be experienced and the glorious feeling to fight for one’s country. Komunyakaa on the other hand shows an African American that serves in Vietnam War and visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The poets’ choice of diction, setting of battlefield and various uses of poetic devices create a desired effect.
Human life is a fragile thing. Many things can impact it’s emotional and mental well being, especially war. In the novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo, along with other texts and documentaries, we are able to see how war affects people in different ways.
‘Poetry can challenge the reader to think about the world in new ways.’ It provokes the readers to consider events, issues and people with revised understanding and perspectives. The poems Dulce Et Decorum Est (Wilfred Owen, 1917) and Suicide in the Trenches (Siegfried Sassoon, 1917), were composed during World War One and represented the poets’ point of views in regards to the glorification of war and encouraged readers to challenge their perspectives and reflect upon the real consequences behind the fabrications of the glory and pride of fighting for one’s nation.
Therefore, although both poems are written on similar topics, the poems are quite different, mainly only agreeing on the fact that war is wrong.
Owen’s poem uses symbolism to bring home the harsh reality of war the speaker has experienced and forces the reader to think about the reality presented in romanticized poetry that treats war gently. He utilizes language that imparts the speakers experiences, as well as what he, his companions, and the dying man feels. People really die and suffer and live through nightmares during a war; Owen forcefully demonstrates this in “Dulce et Decorum Est”. He examines the horrific quality of World War I and transports the reader into the intense imagery of the emotion and experience of the speaker.
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.
The two poems I will be comparing and contrasting are ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen along with ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Wilfred Owen wrote his poem in the duration of the World War one, the poem was first published in the 1920’s. Owens imagery shown in the poem is repulsive and presenting an ugly side of war, the language used by the poet is fierce. On the other hand Lord Tennyson wrote the poem at some point in the Battle of Balaclava in the 1854 however, Lord Tennyson has a diverse vision on war due to not understanding how war was, his imagery demonstrates a calm slow story explaining how he thought war would be. Both poems are similar however they tell there stories in different ways.
Wilfred Owen joined the war at the age of twenty-two. During the war, he saw the worst of the battlefield and often wrote poetry to document his perspective on the war. In 1917, he was affected by an explosion and after he healed, he returned to service and died in battle in 1918. His biographical context is important to understand Owen’s point of view for this poem.