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Creative writing about war
Narrative writing about war
An analysis of the poem to victory by siegfried sassoon
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I chose the poem ‘Suicide in the Trenches’ by Siegfried Sassoon, as the poem relates to both internal and external conflict. As mentioned by the BBC History website; Siegfried Sassoon was born into a Jewish family in Matfield Kent, on the 8th of September 1886. In May 1915, Sassoon was commissioned into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and went to France. Sassoon is the speaker and poet of ‘Suicide in the Trenches’. Not only was he a poet, but he also fought on the front line during World War I, and was given the nickname 'Mad Jack' for his near-suicidal exploits. The subject matter of this poem is ‘war’ seen from an individual’s perspective, and Sassoon wrote this poem based on firsthand experience, which lends an air authenticity and legitimacy …show more content…
On line 8 following the vivid description of how the soldier committed suicide it says “No one spoke of him again” Sassoon used this line specifically to create the poem to have an eerie feeling towards it. As it is talking about a young soldier who committed suicide in the trenches - an experience in which many soldiers would’ve faced, and if it wasn’t witnessing soldiers committing suicide, it was watching them die on the battle …show more content…
The development of this poem moves from one attitude to another, and there is a change of tone in each stanza starting from happy to becoming depressed and finally angry. This poem tells a story with a meaning behind it. The genre of this poem is war. The structure of this poem has 12 lines, 3 stanzas and each line is relatively short in length. The language in the poem itself is quite simple although the literary techniques that are used help bring it to life. These techniques include rhyming ‘aa-bb-cc-dd’ and so on. Onomatopoeia is seen on line 6; ‘crumps’ the sound of fallen artillery shells, on line 4; whistled and again on line 10 ‘cheer’ the use of these words help create aural imagery. Oxymoron is seen on line 2; ‘empty joy’. Alliteration seen on lines 1-3; (simple, soldier, slept, soundly.) Juxtaposition on lines 2-3; (grinned at life, empty joy, slept soundly and lonesome dark.) The use of these poetic devices help create and set the
Poetry has been used for centuries as a means to explore emotions and complex ideas through language, though individuals express similar ideas in wholly different forms. One such idea that has been explored through poetry in numerous ways is that of war and the associated loss, grief, and suffering. Two noted Australian poets shown to have accomplished this are Kenneth Slessor with his work ‘Beach Burial’ and John Schumann’s ‘I Was Only Nineteen’. Both of these works examine the complexities of conflict, but with somewhat different attitudes.
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.
The poem I have chosen is ¡§For the Fallen¡¨ by Laurence Binyon. Certain stanzas from it are often quoted at Anzac Day ceremonies each year. The lyric chosen is also on the theme of war, and is titled ¡§I was only Nineteen¡¨, written by John Schumann. While the common setting is war, there are also other underlying themes that link both pieces of writing, such as loss of life, and alienation¡K
Throughout the history of war poetry, no aspect of war can be said to feature more prominently than the representation of death and dying. While such representations are constant in their inclusion in war texts, the nature of the representation varies greatly, be it as a noble act for ones country, or as the defining negative of war. Poems such as Brooke’s ‘The Soldier’ and Seaman’s ‘Pro Patria’ are strong examples of the former; while others such as ‘Dolce et decorum est’ by Owen and ‘The Rear Guard’ by Sassoon best exemplify the latter. The question remains however as to why these representations of death and dying differ so, and whether there is a relevant relationship between the type of depiction and the time period or conflict, as well as the author’s proximity to death’s harsh reality.
"They have challenged Death and dared him face to face" (Sassoon 6). Sassoon had been in WW1 so he knew when writing this poem the reality of what he was saying. Soldiers saw death everyday and just
In all works about war, the element of pain is essential. Without pain, there is no real happiness. The men described in these works all endured vast amounts of physical and emotional pain on their tours serving the country and the accurate representations of their time overseas wouldn’t be able to be complete without this element.
He was brought out of this conscious state by the black flak and the nightmare fighters with these lines it brings contrasting images of dreaming of life and the reality of the approaching death. The final image brought up in this piece which also creates the most disturbing visual imagery is in the 5th line when he says, “When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.” At this point it is like a morbid rebirth. In harsh contrast to a mother giving life to a child, the turret/womb of the bomber births the gunner to death. The soldiers sacrifice was not viewed as that, but just as a number for body count. It’s through the metaphorical imagery the readers are able to visualize the delicacy of life and the reality of death. Understanding the effects of war and the appalling experiences our soldiers have to endure while fighting for their country facilitates communicating effectively about literature and its function in the context of American and world history and culture
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...
Although war is often seen as a waste of many lives, poets frequently focus on its effect on individuals. Choose two poems of this kind and show how the poets used individual situations to illustrate the impact of war.
A poem which 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.
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.
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
To begin, the sound of this poem can be proven to strongly contribute an effect to the message of this piece. This poem contains a traditional meter. All of the lines in the poem except for lines nine and 15 are in iambic tetrameter. In this metric pattern, a line has four pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables, for a total of eight syllables. This is relevant in order for the force of the poem to operate dynamically. The poem is speaking in a tenor of veiled confessions. For so long, the narrator is finally speaking up, in honesty, and not holding back. Yet, though what has been hidden is ultimately coming out, there is still this mask, a façade that is being worn. In sequence, the last words in each of the lines, again, except for lines nine and 15, are all in rhythm, “lies, eyes, guile, smile, subtleties, over-wise, sighs, cries, arise, vile...
The poetic techniques used in Wilfred Owen’s war poetry sweep the reader from the surface of knowing to the essence of truly appreciating his ideas. Through sonnets, Para rhymes, ironic titles, voices and strong imagery, not only is the reader able to comprehend to the futility and the horrors of the Great War, but also they can almost physically and mentally empathise with those who fought. Through the three poems examined, it is evident that Owen goes to great effort to describe the conditions and thoughts of the First World War, thus his works are considered an invaluable asset to the modern literature.
The language compliments the mood of this poem, as it varies from a sad and melancholy cry, to a voice of hope, all in a constant confident feel, and by this, the poet's reflections and contemplation?s are communicated successfully to us, making us feel in the same way she has felt.