How and why did war poetry change during the years 1914-1918

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Max hounslow

How and why did war poetry change during the years 1914-1918?

The war began in 1914, when Europe was divided into two great alliances: Britain and her empire, France, Russia, Serbia and Italy.

They were against there enemies Germany, Austria, hunger and turkey.

The main trigger of the war was the assassination of arch duke Franz Ferdinand. By the end of the war over 8 million had died and over 20 million had been injured.

Britain unlike other countries had huge conscript armies which relied on a small professional force. Lord Kitchener, secretary of state for war realised that the more men they had to fight the more chance they had of winning the war. He proposed a revolutionary plan for new armies of millions of volunteers. This is when the recruitment drive started and many ways of getting young me to join up were introduced from posters to poetry. In 1916 young men were subjected to relentlessness social pressures both official and unofficial to join the army.  One way they used to persuade young men was to get the women to give out white feathers to the men a a sign of coward ness

Fighting in trenches was the main way the war was fought and the western front is known for being a maze of trenches. They would use machine guns and place barbed wire so the enemy could be kept away. The ideal trench was about 2 meters deep with wooden boards covering the drainage channels, there would be steps up sop the gunmen could see over the top. Although Italy had a change of heart Britain and its empire still one the war, although millions dies and were injured for life.

Jessie pope was a female journalist at the beginning of world war one. Many people perceived her as an ‘armchair journalist’ because she would sit there and send people out to war saying it would be an experience and they would travel the world while really they would be sending themselves to there deaths. She wrote a poem called ‘who’s for the game’ the purpose of this poem was to persuade young men ton join the war.

The rhythm of this poem is very fast and upbeat so it put across a positive feeling. Also the rhythm was a marching beat which helps to put across a positive message.

Join now!

She also uses emotive language which would help to persuade people to join because it effects them personally, ‘tour country is up to her neck in a fight’  the country is personified as a woman and makes the man feel as if they have to save the woman and be a hero.

Imperatives are also used these are commands and demands that can not be disobeyed, ‘go’ this is telling the men to go and they cannot disobey this.

She also uses metaphors; the one she emphasises the most is that war is a game ‘whose for the game, the ...

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