However, 'The Drum' does demonstrate an extremely similar view of war to that conveyed by Owen in 'The Send-off'. Both depict strong anti-war attitudes, presenting their respective ideas about the wasteful sacrifice

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Bethany Weston

Section A

Basing your answer on Extract A and Extract E, you should:

        

  • Write a comparison of the ways the writers present ideas about slaughter and sacrifice
  • Say how far you agree with the view that Scott’s poem is more effective than Owen’s in communicating its message.

The subject of War is one that rouses many varying attitudes amongst writers, which is evident through their respective compositions of literature. Throughout the duration of World War I, many soldiers who originally harboured enthusiasm towards the notion of fighting for one’s country to attain honour became incredibly cynical and satirical of the war. One such writer was Wilfred Owen, writer of ‘The Send-off’. Owen joined up in the First World War, as many did, with a view that had been manipulated by the propaganda portrayed by the media of the time. Thus, he was keen to fight to defend his country in order to obtain glory. However, he soon formed his own opinion of the reality of War and became bitter and angry towards the depiction of war conveyed by the media on the home front, and those supporting it. This view of Owen’s that developed throughout his time in the War is clearly illustrated through ‘The Send-off’. John Scott composed his poem, ‘The Drum’, in 1782, over a century prior to the commencement of the First World War. Therefore, Scott’s view was not manipulated, as Owen’s was, by his own personal experience of the First World War. However, ‘The Drum’ does demonstrate an extremely similar view of war to that conveyed by Owen in ‘The Send-off’. Both depict strong anti-war attitudes, presenting their respective ideas about the wasteful sacrifice and carnage of war, thus demonstrating that such views were common, not simply due to one particular war, but the act of War in general, and hence transcend centuries.

        Both Owen’s and Scott’s texts adopt the form of poems, thus they share some fundamental facets. The most dominant feature of Scott’s poem is arguably the strong rhyme scheme that it exhibits:

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                        ‘I hate that drum’s discordant sound,

                        Parading round and round and round’

The above quote clearly illustrates how this rhyme scheme induces a strong rhythm into the poem, aided by the set number of eight syllables per line. This rhythm compliments the title of the poem, demonstrating Scott’s use of onomatopoeia, as it imitates the beat of a drum. Scott’s employment of onomatopoeia within the rhythm here also introduces the idea of men marching off to war, as it is known that often men marched to the beat of a drum to help coordination;

                        ‘To march, and fight, and ...

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