Using Charles Sorley's "To Germany" and Rupert Brookes "Peace" compare the writer's attitudes to war.
Using Charles Sorley’s “To Germany” and Rupert Brookes “Peace” compare the writer’s attitudes to war.
How far do you agree that Brooke presents war as more glorious whilst Sorley presents peace as more glorious after the inevitability of war?
Both writers in their poems present different arguments about war. Charles Sorley was an early anti war poet, although never had the courage to defy war. In contrast Rupert Brooke, was very patriotic, writing passionately about how romantic war is, and having a far more emotional approach to war due to his many stormy relationships. The difference in the two writers attitudes to war is clearly reflected throughout their poems.
The title of Sorley’s poem “To Germany” is a direct response to Germany, although not a critical one. The subject matter show that Sorely does not want to fight, and is confused as to why he is “We stumble and we do not understand”. This reflected many men’s beliefs about the war, for many men were against it, but felt a sense of duty to their country to fight. Sorley’s attitudes toward the Germans shows no animosity and when peace breaks out, he hopes the two sides and come together and be friends “When it is peace, then we may view again With new-won eyes each other's truer form”. In contrast the title of Brookes poem is more ironic as the reader would expect a poem about peace but instead Brooke portrays the war as being a thrilling experience “who has matched us with his hour”. He is not addressing the issue of peace at all, but instead chooses glorify dying for England. One major difference between the writers is the time of which they wrote these poems. Brooke wrote peace when he was yet to fight at the front. He had little battle experience of France and died on his way to France on board a ferry due to a mosquito bite. He had no realistic idea of the war and only had the preconceived notions that he would come out of it a hero. Sorely however wrote “To Germany” whilst he was in the trenches. Unlike Brooke he had been along the front line and had seen men die, therefore he was not disillusioned as Brooke was. This could be a possible explanation as to why the difference in the attitudes to war. Brooke had never really experienced it and if he was to live long enough, he might have been able to write less romantically about it. Since Sorley was in the main parts of the war, along the front of the battle of the loos, then he was able to give a more reliable and realistic attitude representative of all the men along the front.
