“For Two Voices” wasn’t based on any particular war. A.E Houseman wrote the poem around 1896. In the first stanza of the poem, Houseman shows a young person excited by the idea of war, “O mother, mother, isn’t it fun”. Houseman then introduces the child’s mother as opposed to war, “child, child, what are you saying?” This makes it sound like a child and mother conversation. In the second stanza, Houseman continues this mother child conversation with the child for war, and the mother against. “Look, mother, at their bright spears!” Showing how the child is inspired by the spears. “The leaves are falling like woman’s tears” This simile is effective because it shows the loss during war. In the third stanza, Houseman indicates what the mother hears. “I hear the sound of a girl crying” He then goes on to say “How many mothers wanting a son”. In the fourth and final stanza, Houseman shows how the child puts war as a game. “O this war, what a glorious game!” Houseman then ends the poem with the mother saying “sin and shame, sin and shame”.
Thomas Hardy’s “A Wife in London” describes a lonely woman that is waiting for the news of her husband fighting in South Africa. “She”, Hardy shows how there is no name as the poem describes many British wife’s. Hardy shows the atmospheric surroundings “street lamp glimmers cold”. This shows how the tension build as the wife awaits the news. In the second stanza, Hardy shows the anxiety as she receives the news. “A messenger’s knock cracks smartly”. “Flashed News” shows how the news was sudden to her. In the third stanza, Hardy shows how the “fog hangs thicker” as he uses a metaphor to show atmospheric surroundings. In the fourth and final stanza, Hardy shows that the wife had received a letter explaining that the husband would be back, “Page-full of his hope full return” and how they were going to take the relationship further, “And of new love that they would learn”.
The poem “The Charge ff The Light Brigade is a ballad, a story telling poem. The poem was written during the Crimean war in 1845-6. Alfred Tennyson wrote this poem. The poem was based on news reports written in the Times news paper. In the first stanza of the poem, Tennyson writes about how the Light Cavalry Brigade advances to the war, “Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward”. Tennyson then goes on to say “All in the valley of Death”. Tennyson personifies the word “Death” to put “Death” as a place that the Cavalry are going to visit. “Forward, the Light Brigade!” Shows how the cavalry charged on. “Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them.” Tennyson puts the image across that the Light Brigade was surrounded. Tennyson then goes on to show that they had been killed. “Then they rode back, but not, Not the six hundred” The Light cavalry “came through the jaws of Death” Tennyson personifies the word “Death” to make it sound like a place that the cavalry had travelled through. “Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred” Tennyson makes a point meaning honour the Light Brigade as a wrong order was given out. Throughout the poem, on the last line of each stanza, Tennyson emphasises on the 600 to show this is the amount of people that died as a result of war.
In conclusion, each poem has shown its views to war. “The Drum” showed the poet hating war. “A Wife in London” showed the outcome of women awaiting news on their husbands. “The Charge of the Light Brigade” shows 600 soldiers being killed as a result of a wrong order. And “For Two Voices” showed a mother and a child having a child like conversation with the child showing how he or she thought war was excellent, and the mother degrading war every time the child made it look good. I feel that war should never take place, unless it is the only thing to do. War can cause terrible outcomes, destroyed cities, broken life’s and hearts as a result of family being killed.
