Jessie Pope Uses An Extended Metaphors In 'Who's For The Game?'

In the poem “Who’s for the game?”, the author Jessie Pope uses an extended metaphor to toy with prideful behaviour to insinuate a challenge for men, in order to convince them to enlist for the Great war. The metaphor “Who’s for the game”, compares the great war to a enjoyable activity. Most games are usually fun and an exciting pass time that many people are eager to partake in. The comparison of a thrilling activity makes the war sound more appealing to the men who are considering to join the war effort. In the quote “Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid.”, Pope uses vocabulary that is associated with sports to bring an uplifting and an exciting tone to the poem. This is a crucial poetic device in the poem that assists to convince men to

begin their turn in the war. Once Pope has caught the reader’s attention she poses a challenge for them. In the quote “And she’s looking and calling for you.”, she is asking the men, who is the strongest one that will hear the call of his country. Pope is suggesting that fearful men do not have the courage to pick up a gun. She uses a person’s pride against them. The poem implies that only the unworthy and weaker men stay home to avoid signing up. She uses the poem to mock the weak men to play on their insecurities, and challenges the stronger and prideful men to prove their worth. This lure of a challenge, plays on the pride of men and their eagerness to prove themselves worthy of honour and being left out of the fun that everyone should participate in.