Lily Milton Page 02/05/2007
In this poem, Brooke likes to use Pure rhyme, whereas, in “Futility” Owen uses Imperfect, Eye and Half Rhymes for effect. For example, here is an extract from “The Soldier”
As you can see, Pure rhyme is abundant in this sonnet. This gives quite a “finished” effect, and makes you feel more at ease with the poem. As Brooke more often than not romanticises war, this is a good device to use. Owen uses quite an opposite effect in “Futility”
Lily Milton Page 02/05/2007
Owen uses this, also, to great effect. Imperfect and Eye rhymes gives the poem an edge, and often make it feel less “finished”, unlike Brooke’s style. This also helps add to the tones of both poems. Brooke uses personification and alliteration with a typical glorified, respectful, romantic tone in his poems/sonnets. Owen however, uses rhetorical questions, hyperboles, unconventional rhymes which all add to his questioning, depressive, slightly upsetting tone. Brooke uses sonnet form in
“The Soldier” to lull you with rhythm that fits perfectly with the romantic pace and language of the poem . Owen however is more contemporary and will break the rhythm to draw your attention. This rings true of his “Shock Tactic” style.
Although both styles are used to great effect they are difficult to compare because they are remarkably different.
Both poets are similar in some ways though, for example both Brooke and Owen use the narrative to tell a story, event or to describe their thoughts and experiences of war. Brooke, who never experienced trench combat, has never written about it.
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Owen, however, was killed at the front a week before the armistice, and he writes in his
poems mostly about his experiences in the trenches, and the sorrow of the death of many
soldiers. One of his most powerful poems
about trench combat is “ Dulce et Decorum Est ” where there is plenty of visual imagery and irony. Brooke’s “ The Dead ” has altogether glamourised the people who died in the war, but at the same time moves the reader.
Both poets use visual imagery and personification in many of their poems, especially the ones I have just talked about. For example, the last stanza of Brooke’s “The Dead”
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This majestic imagery is far from the bleakness of Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” where he writes in first person about the trenches and the horrors that went on there. He too uses these techniques to great effect.
I find this imagery in the poem very striking, especially the part about “beggars” because in a way they were slaves to the government and didn’t get much choice as to whether they wanted to fight or not.
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The realism and bleakness of this poem is a total contrast to Brooke’s idyll of war. Although both are effective uses of writing, they cover different aspects of the war that matter to different people. I feel that this is one of the reasons that war poetry is still a legacy today. It helps people remember the war, and brings back different feelings for different people.
Once again the form of these poems are contrasted in the sense that Owen has no proper rhythm in his poem to draw you to it and make you think, whereas Brooke uses sonnets and Pure rhyme to accentuate the idealistic image of war.
It is impossible to make an absolute comparison between these two poets because of their different backgrounds and styles of writing, as well as their different thoughts on war. However, although they are different people with different ideas and experiences they did have one thing in common: they wrote about what they felt, and what they believed in no matter how controversial, and that is what I believe is their greatest similarity.
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