Consider ways in which Owen portrays his views of the importance of camaraderie in Apologia Pro Poemate Meo

Authors Avatar

Making close reference to language, imagery and verse from, consider ways in which Owen portrays his views of the importance of camaraderie in ‘Apologia Pro Poemate Meo’

Apologia pro poemate meo means the reasons for my poetry and is about the friendships made throughout the war. As a response to Robert graves letter telling Owen ‘for god’s sake cheer up and write more optimistically’, and the more positive style is shown throughout the rhyme, metre and rhythm as it is all regular. However the poem reads as a contradiction as it is merry yet still about the war. This upbeat tone throughout could also be portrayed as sarcastic.

I will be referring to insensibility as it is a contrast to this poem and gives a different view on how men cope in war. I will also refer to strange meeting as it gives a twist to importance of camaraderie, as the man he killed whom he meets in hell, shows they are more likely friends rather than enemies.

        The importance of camaraderie is highlighted throughout apologia pro poemate meo, ‘Merry it was to laugh there’ shows that even though war is such a horrific place, the friendships between the men overcame this and made it enjoyable and ‘merry’. The use of paradox is to show the juxtaposition of war and friendships: ‘Found peace where shell-storms spouted reddest spate. ‘. Here, Owens uses of sibilance, shows the soldier has found peace in the battlefield, which is absurd as shells are falling all around them, but again, it shows that the friendships made are so powerful, they make war seem less horrific as it is.

Join now!

        Religious imagery is used as well to highlight the importance of camaraderie: ‘I, too, saw God through mud-‘. Here, to see god could also refer to seeing hope, as soldiers prayed to god for help and safety on the battlefield, so this soldier has seen hope in the war as his friendships made, make it worth baring. However, Owen could be using sarcasm here, as Graves told him ‘to cheer up and write something worthwhile’, but war is a horrific and dreary matter. To write of war as something cheery would wrong in all sense.

        This links to a ...

This is a preview of the whole essay