Comparing Danny Deever And In Flanders Fields

Compare and Contrast

Each battle that is fought have different stories and views behind them. Death can either be viewed as a punishment, or a release. Every battle that has been fought has death in it. There is no way around it. Death is found in the poems "Danny Deever" by Rudyard Kipling and "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae. They both are similar and different in many ways. With death inevitably in them, both die in different ways with different reasons.
Both poems share the similarity of death. For example, in McCrae's poem it says, "We are the Dead. Short days ago/ We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/ Loved and were loved and now we lie/ In Flanders Fields" (6-9). This is saying they died during battle, they died defending their country. They were loved and they also loved others. Now they are dead. They lie in Flanders Fields, knowing that they died doing what is right. Dying with defending your country is almost always a spiritual release. In Kipling's poem, it also talks about death. It says, "An' they're hangin' Danny Deever in the mornin'"(9). Danny Deever is going to be hung. He will be put to death for his actions. Death is going to be his punishment. Death is mentioned in both poems, but the death is different in the poems.

Even though both poems talk are talking about death, it is a different type of death.

In Danny Deever, Danny is put to death because he shot one of his comrades while he was asleep. It says, "For 'e shot a comrade sleepin'-you must look 'im in the face;/ Nine 'undred of 'is country an' the regiment's disgrace,/ While they're hangin' Danny Deever in the mornin'"(22-24). Danny Deever shot one of his comrades while he was sleeping. This is one of the regiments highest disgraces. They are punishing him by putting him to death. He will be hung in the morning. He will not die an honorable death. This will not be a

release.
In McCrae's poem, there is death but these people died honorably. It says, "We are the Dead. Short days ago/ We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/ Loved and were loved,/ and now we lie in Flanders Fields"(6-9). They fought for freedom and died while on the battlefield. They are the Dead. They feel like they are dead, even though they are breathing. Physical and spiritual death are two different things, but when you are spiritually dead, you wish that you were physically dead too. Being alive physically and being alive spiritually are two very different things. They are alive, but feel no need to be alive for any longer. They have done what their country needed to do. They are waiting for the clemency of death to take them away, for death is only their release.
Danny Deever and In Flanders Fields are both similar and different. Both poems have death in them, but the death inside the poems are different. One dies as a punishment, while the others died honorably on the battlefield. When they die honorably, they felt the relief of death. They were already spiritually dead. Each poem has a different background, death is set up in different ways. Death can either be a punishment or a release, it just depends on what your view is.