On Being Asked For A War

William Butler Yeats wrote the poem, “On Being Asked for a War Poem,” after he was asked to write a political poem on the first World War. Many feel that this poem reflects Yeats’ inner conflict over whether poets can write war poetry. To others, this poem considers a recurring question, what is the role of the poet in society, and what is the function of poetry? In this poem, Yeats communicates his opinion that a poet should speak only about traditional romantic subjects and leave the war to soldiers and politicians. In one line in particular he states that poets “have no gift to set a statesman right.” The position taken by Yeats is that poets have no “gift”, or ability, to tell statesman how they should make decisions. In his opinion,

poetry has no place intervening in politics, and the poet no role in making big statements about wars and what causes them. While the above may have been Yeats’ opinion, there were other poets of World War I who did attempt to set the statesmen “right”. Poets such as Isaac Rosenberg in his poem “August 1914” were able to describe the war through poetic devices such as questions, symbols, imagery and metaphors so that war could be relatable to politicians.
Rosenberg uses questions to show how loss and destruction incurred during war exceed our ability as well as the statesmen's ability to comprehend them. The opening stanza of “August 1914” begins with questions about the costs of the war. The poet confesses to a lack of knowledge as he questions with the use of “what” in line one of the poem. The poet knows of the destruction even with his limited political understanding. “The much we shall miss?” in line four draws an image of loss made more powerful by “much” signifying extreme loss.
In the first stanza Rosenberg uses a metaphor in question form through which he shows emotional cost of war that statesmen are unable to experience first hand. “Granary” at the end of line three is referring to a literal place where grain is stored after the harvest. It is used here describing the “heart”. The heart's desires and emotions are stored in the “granary”. This metaphor stresses the emotional cost of the war.
Rosenberg’s poem is infused with symbols that offer a better understanding of war. “August 1914” opens with a specific image of “fire” and “granary”. These verses question what has been lost in war. “Fire” in the second line suggests devastation or even more specifically bullets. Fire is also symbolic of hell.
In the second stanza Isaac Rosenberg makes use of symbolic words, which show the good that was absent during the war.

One might say that “Three lives” refers to the Trinity, which is a religious reference. These words depict a religious struggle during a very tough time in the author’s life. Alternatively, “Iron”, “gold” and “honey” in line six can refer to the physical and symbolic aspects of each material. “Iron” is a solid and strong metal that is used for making bullets and weapons for war. “Gold” symbolizes wealth and material goods. Gold is a pure special metal that represents a state of economic stability when society prospers and grows; the exact opposite of war. “Honey” suggests soft, flowing sweetness and is a Biblical reference where the land of Canaan is described as the “land of milk and honey.” As such “Iron, honey, gold,” are three integral components to human life. The second stanza closes with what is left in the world, no wealth, preciousness or sweetness, just “the hard and

cold”.

Rosenberg depicts multiple associations both literally and figuratively throughout his poem.

There are both figurative and literal meanings to “iron” in the last four lines of the poem. Iron can be defined as cruel and cold. This is what the war has done to the poet personally and civilization as a whole. In line one of the third stanza, “Iron are our lives” evokes the “hard and cold” struggle for life which is mentioned in the second stanza. The iron is then transformed before the reader’s eye into “molten,” iron’s heated form. We feel the “burning” shrapnel piercing through a soldier literally or figuratively it can be viewed as the passion of the soldier. In line three of the final stanza a “burnt space through ripe fields” can be understood literally as the burning fields destroyed in the war. Figuratively, we can see the “ripe fields” alluding to the young soldier’s loss of life. The devastation when referring to “field” reminds us of the “granary” again in the first

stanza.
In the final stanza Rosenberg depicts an image. This image can be read both figuratively or literally. The “mouth” can be viewed as the entire civilization being destroyed. The “fair mouth” can literally mean a young soldier’s beautiful face, which is “broken” or disfigured during battle. The poem closes showing us what the war has done to beauty.
“August 1914” by Isaac Rosenberg gives an unwavering denunciation through poetic devices, of the effects of war on human life which “set a statesman right”. Although Yeats writes, poets “have no gift to set a statesman right” the contrary should be taken into consideration. A poet, specifically one who has lived the reality of war can make big statements about wars. A statesman should consider a poem written by a poet who has lived the reality of war and was able to adequately express both the physical and emotional devastation war has brought to not only himself personally, but also how it transforms an entire civilization. In understanding this poem both figuratively and literally we can see that poetry can and even should have a place in intervening in politics.