Compare and contrast the attitudes to war as reflected in for the

Compare and contrast the attitudes to war as reflected in for the

fallen and the send off.

'For the fallen' and 'The Send-off' are poems written demonstrating

attitudes towards war. Whilst banyan conveys an idealised, romantic

picture of war that depicts the soldiers as heroic and courageous,

Owens attitudes towards war are more pessimistic in nature. Owen uses

appearance versus reality to show the corruption and misery of war.

Binyan and Owen convey their attitudes through the language, structure

and poetic devices they employ

The attitudes to war in 'for the fallen' are patriotic and

romanticised. The opening lines, 'with proud thanksgiving,' suggest

grandeur, prestige and honour. Binyan conveys the ideas that fighting

for your country, and serving in the war is honourable. To emphasise

the honour of fighting in the war banyan employs a metaphorical

representation of England as the capital mother. 'a mother for her

children,' through personifying England as a mother it is almost like

England has nurtured and shaped her children which are symbolic of the

soldier which depicts the view that it was the soldiers duty to fight

for their country. The repetition of the words 'for her,' evokes guilt

in the readers as banyan illustrates the attitude at the time being

that England has done so much for the soldiers that it was expected of

them to give back to their country.

Contrasting to the patriotic and idealised image of war and serving

your country the representation that Owen conveys of war, is eerie and

daunting,' the darkening lanes.' The imagery of the 'darkening lane'

could reflect the lives of the solders sent to war, it suggests that

their death were almost inevitable and they were bound to death before

they wee even sent off. The use of the word darkening eliminates any

hope the readers may have and illustrates Owens attitude that they're

no hope in fighting and without hope there was no purpose or point in

fighting. Owen also expresses certain vulnerability in the soldiers as

they are sent into a world which they know nothing about.

Similarly Binyan demonstrates the same naivety and innocence of the

soldiers that served in the war. 'They went with songs to the battle,'

suggests that the soldiers were unprepared and unaware of the harsh

realities of war, which is reflected in the behaviour. Binyan

demonstrates that the soldiers entered the battle field with

aspirations, the fact that they were ready to fight for their country

'against the odds uncounted,' and went almost willingly 'with songs,'

demonstrates honour. Binyan follows this with, 'they were young,'

which emphasises their naivety and innocence; the soldiers were

vulnerable but remained 'true of eye, steady and aflow,' which