War does not only leave physical destruction but it is also a strong weapon against emotions. War can either strengthen one’s emotional state or can completely destroy them, for instance it can either influence it to strengthen their spiritual beliefs or weaken it. War awakens the their spiritual levels as well as their love for something or someone. The poems Najaf 1820 by Brian Turner and Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night by Walt Whitman both display the effects of how war has awaken or destroyed their spiritual beliefs. They both illustrate
Brian Turner’s style of poem would most likely be considered a free-verse poem. The poem contains no rhythm, however, the word choices and phrasing influences to sentiments of the poem. Turner uses specific literary devices in order to convey the different sentiments. Turner uses personification in order to emphasize the destruction of the war. Since the war took away thousands of lives away as he describes it as “the earth pregnant with the dead”. Turner uses
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personification to emphasize how the ground of the earth is covered by millions of dead bodies who were killed in war, displaying the destruction of the war and to illustrate the large catastrophe that the war left. With no room for the rest of the bodies. This personification also references to the womb, where life is created and born, however, in this case the womb is birthing dead bodies and people with no life. Turner further states the destruction of their hope, as they are now only waiting for more death and more destruction. The author uses imagery to convey this description, “Cemetery mounds stretching row by row with room enough yet for what the years will bring”. The author portrays an image of the earth covered in mounds, dirt that is covering the dead bodies. However, they do not expect it to be the end of many losses, it is just the beginning of the “years” to come that will bring more destruction to their souls. Illustrating that war will never stop and it will only influence them to pray for their souls and sins. In the poem Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night by Walt Whitman, the poem is told from first perspective. Whitman tells a poetic story of having to live and watch his comrade fall into the ground, slowly fading into his death. Whitman constantly uses imagery in order to depict the scene that he experienced as he saw comrade fall to the ground. Describing it the “dear eyes” that stayed in his memory a “ look I shall never forget”. He further illustrates “touch of your hand to mine” as he is falling to the ground and while he reaches for Whitman. These illustrations displays the large impact of his war experiences that affected the arthur's life. For instance about having to experience traumatizing events of seeing his comrade, friend, and “son” die right in front of him, knowing that he was there at the exact moment that his friend's life was taken away. Excluding the distinct styles of both authors, some of the similarities are both having references regarding religion.
Turner mentions the carpets, for Muslims the prayer carpet is significantly important for Muslims, since it symbolizes their time praying and communicating with their god, Ali. It is important to their daily prayer routine, and the carpet is a witness of them praying for their wishes and praying for the mercy for their sins. And with Turner’s description of their “dying wishes to be buried near Ali” and place their bodies in “the gates of Paradise” symbolizes their spirituality against the war. Because even though they were not able to experience their wishes, they content enough to know that once they die, they will be accepted in the gates of their paradise and the blood will be “washed clean from their bodies. Indicating that regardless of what they did, their sins will be forgiven because of their sacrifice and
bravery. And Whitman constantly mentions vigil, which means a duration of staying awake, and a religious holiday that consists of religious observance. This term connects to Whitman’s experience since he was awaken by the death of his comrade, and although he may not show any emotion such as crying, he is still mourning about his friend's death. Furthermore, he also states that they “shall surely meet again”, indicating that this is not the end and that is why he does not show any external emotion because he knows that he will meet him again, in the afterlife, in their paradise. Both of these poems displays their strong spiritual magnitude of their beliefs, that even though their bodies may not be alive, their souls still exist and they will continue to go on a journey. In conclusion, despite different writing styles that each author chose, both Turner and Whitman were able to convey their message. About how there will be many physical destruction, but it cannot destroys a man’s soul. For they will carry their accomplishments, sacrifice, bravery and wishes with them to the afterlife.
War has been a constant part of human history. It has greatly affected the lives of people around the world. These effects, however, are extremely detrimental. Soldiers must shoulder extreme stress on the battlefield. Those that cannot mentally overcome these challenges may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, some resort to suicide to escape their insecurities. Soldiers, however, are not the only ones affected by wars; family members also experience mental hardships when their loved ones are sent to war. Timothy Findley accurately portrays the detrimental effects wars have on individuals in his masterpiece The Wars.
The Civil War, World War I, the Vietnam War, World War II, and the conflict in the Middle East are all wars that have been fought over the difference of opinions, yet come at the cost of the soldier 's fighting them; Humans killing other humans, and death is just one of the many emotional scars soldiers of war face. Why do we go to war when this is the cost? For many it is because they are unaware of the psychological cost of war, they are only aware of the monetary cost or the personal gains they get from war. Tim O 'Brien addresses the true cost of war in "The Things They Carried". O 'Brien suggests that psychological trauma caused by war warps the perception of life in young Americans drafted into the Vietnam War. He does this through Lieutenant
...ntation in 20th century war poetry undoubtedly shapes its type and purpose, be it for nationalistic propaganda or to prompt a global paradigm shift, the purpose can be seen to stem largely from the author’s involvement in combat or war life. Authors such as Owen Seaman, who have no first hand experience of the content of their poems, create patriotic propaganda in an attempt to keep young men enlisting, and others such as Rupert Brooke who exemplify blind optimism and nationalistic intentions in a romanticised view of what it would be to die.
As can be seen, Paul Boyer, Tim O’Brien, and Kenneth W. Bagby, convey the notion that war affects the one’s self the most. Through the use of literary devices: tone, mood, pathos, and imagery, these 3 authors portray that war affects a person’s self most of all. War is not only a battle between two opposing sides, but it can also be a mental conflict created within a person. Although war is able to have an effect on physical relationships between family, friends, or even society, conflict within oneself is the most inevitable battle one must face during war times.
War is a brutal, bloody battlefield from which no one returns unscathed. Nonetheless, there are those who believe war to be a glorious honor, a bedtime story filled with gallant heroes, a scuffle fought an ocean and several countries away. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce and “August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury, the authors seek to convey the devastation that comes from romanticizing war by using impersonal and ironic diction.
The number of beats and stresses in each line during the poem are scattered, but this serves a purpose by letting ideas flow from one to another. Each idea is connected by using the word “ring” or “ringing.” The overall message of the poem is the constant “ringing” Turner remembers from war experiences affects his everyday life. Turners tone of voice in the beginning of the poem differs from the tone of the voice in end of the poem. In the first couple of lines Turner introduces what the ringing is and why it is constantly in his head. Then towards the end of the poem, Turner uses more vivid language to describe certain images and events he went through to get the constant ringing playing in his mind. For example, in the beginning, words like; “this ringing,” “bullet borne,” and “static,” are used to describe what the ringing represents, and what it can be compared to. Then in the end language like, “muzzle-flash,” and “gravestones,” describe images he remembers from war. The change in the language creates different atmospheres. In the beginning the reader just feels they are reading descriptive language, but the language in the end makes the reader feel they are there in the setting of the poem. This specific structure is important for ideas to flow
What is war really like all together? What makes war so horrifying? The horror of war is throughout All Quiet on the Western Front. For example Albert says the war has ruined them as young people and Paul agrees. “Albert expresses it: "The war has ruined us for everything." He is right. We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.” (Remarque, Chapter 5). The way the war has affected each soldier has changed them forever. The boys who were once school boys will never be the same.
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a constant battle between death and love.
War and its ramifications for those who are unfortunately entangled in it, is an issue that has fueled both political discussion and literary exploration throughout the previous century. Underived, authentic accounts of the experience and effects of war, from those who have served in it, can be especially enlightening for the majority of society who have had the fortune of not being intimately familiar with war. Through the examination of poems and stories written by soldiers, who were inspired by their involvement in conflict, one can obtain a greater understanding of this gruesome aspect of life, without having to directly experience it. Similarly, soldier turned poet, Bruce Weigl, has contributed his perspective on war through his literary
A poem I have recently read is “Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen. The main point Wilfred Owen tries to convey in this poem is the sheer horror of war. Owen uses many techniques to show his feelings, some of which I’ll be exploring. Wilfred Owen was a tired soldier on the front line during World War I. In the first stanza of Dulce Et Decorum Est he describes the men and the condition they are in and through his language shows that the soldiers deplore the conditions.
By and large war is the enemy itself as it causes men to rearrange their mindset and tests their mental capacity. A traumatic event at the very least war takes men and molds them into beings with more animal instinct than human inclination. Remarque's novel All quiet on the western front perfectly demonstrates how war can affect a man's psyche when tested give a kill or be killed ultimatum. Without the help of carnage imagery and unique symbols the themes
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.
War has been a consistent piece of mankind 's history. It has significantly influenced the lives of individuals around the globe. The impacts are amazingly adverse. In the novel, “The Wars,” by Timothy Findley, Soldiers must shoulder compelling weight on the warzone. Such weight is both family and the country weight. Many individuals look at soldiers for hop and therefore, adding load to them. Those that cannot rationally beat these difficulties may create Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tragically, some resort to suicide to get away from their insecurities. Troops, notwithstanding, are not by any means the only ones influenced by wars; relatives likewise encounter mental hardships when their friends and family are sent to war. Timothy Findley
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.
The Iliad by Homer has much to say about war as it is fought today. It tells the story that war is both the bringer of glory to its young fighters and the destroyer of their lives. It tells the story of fighters obliged to serve under incompetent superiors. It tells the story of war as an attempt to preserve a treasured way of life. It tells the story, too, of the incalculable gulf between civilian life and the front lines; of atrocities and frivolous slaughter; of war’s mercilessness to women and children; of friendships and empathy across the battle lines. It tells the story of love and comradery. Most of all, however, it tells the story about the harrowing losses of war: of a soldier losing his closest compatriot, of a parent losing his