Jessie Pope's Choice Of Language

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Jessie Pope’s choice of language is one of the key components of ‘Who’s for the Game?’ which make it so accessible. Her use of informal and colloquial language helps to present war as a less formal and intimidating experience. She also used many monosyllabic words, reinforcing this idea of simplicity. The phrase, ‘come along lads’ is a perfect representation of this language. Owen’s choice of language was very different to that of Pope’s as he used sophisticated and advanced language. The line, ‘the shrill demented choirs of wailing shells,’ perfectly demonstrates his astounding proficiency in the English language. Oxymoron and juxtaposition frequently feature in ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth,’ beginning with the title, in which we see an example of each. The juxtaposition is the use of the word ‘anthem’ to describe this poem. Owen sarcastically refers to his poem as a song of praise, showing his disapproval for poems such as ‘Who’s for the Game?’ which try to glorify war. The phrase ‘doomed youth’ is an example of oxymoron and is very striking as it is saying that these soldiers’ youth is already determined to be bleak. …show more content…

The line, ‘nor any voice of mourning save the choirs’ suggests that no amount of mourning can save these men from their inevitable deaths. This is very effective because it makes us feel bad for these men, achieving the author’s aim of encouraging negative feelings about the

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