Jessie Pope's Attitude toward War in the Poem Who's For the Game

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Jessie Pope was a journalist who wrote recruitment poems for the Daily

Mail during the First World War. The poems she did write were positive

propaganda poems for the war; her objective was to stimulate

patriotism in the readers so that the men would join the forces. Pope

wrote a persuasive poem where she compared war to a game. This is

illustrated in the title 'Who's for the game?' It shows that her

attitude toward war was that it was a great big event that everyone should

take part in one way or another. The title is a short and punchy

question inviting anyone to answer. This gives the wrong impression of

the war, it is misleading. Pope was ridiculed for doing this, but if she did write

the actual reality of war, no one would really want to join, therefore

the aim of the poem would not be fulfilled and the British army would

have no chance of wining in the war.

Stanza one begins again by referring to the war as a 'game' for the

above reason and also emphasises that it is the 'biggest' game ever

known, war is not a game where you may loose points but where it is

likely to loose a limb or loose your life. By her saying war it the

game, 'the biggest that's played,' Jessie Pope gives a false notion in

the first line and makes war sound remarkable when clearly it is not.

The 'game' is then repeated to enforce excitement even more. Pope goes

on to imply it could be a violent game, appealing to the masculine

instinct whilst there is a comparison between 'the red crashing game'

and the red blood shed in war, she makes it seem like a boxing match.

Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: 'Who'll

grip and tackle t...

... middle of paper ...

...nza because she personalises

it in other ways by commanding them to join to rescue their country,

respond to its call for help and using 'you'.

In conclusion it is a very simple and assertive poem that was popular

with the general public as Jessie Pope's writing contained the normal

indifferent public's view that supported the war from the safety of

their home. The poem, 'Who's for the game?' were disliked by some for

the misleading remarks but also admired by others for the basic

language which was easy for all to comprehend. The attitudes expressed

in the poem were that war should not be treated as a serious and

avoided subject but something that should be enjoyed by courageous men

willing to fight for their country without hesitation and men who were

not eager to join were considered cowards and should be ashamed.

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