Walking Wounded - review.
Walking Wounded
Walking wounded is a poem, in which the Poet has attempted to evoke the pieces of war in the minds of the reader. The central idea in the poem is to depict the hardship of people who have to deal with life, unlike that of a hero. In other words, a common man has to deal with problems of life and has to return back to the battlefield, which is compared to life.
Walking wounded is a poem, where there is an extensive use of literary features. A prime example would be the use of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia is the creation of words, which sounds similar to the noises of the words referred to. Onomatopoeia is used extensively in the poem; in order invoke the feeling of pain, suffering and destruction, all of which are images of war, which is clearly evident through most of the poem. Take in to consideration the word "groaned". The word is used to emphasize the pain, the misery of the war that had been raging on. Another word used which is onomatopoeic, is "churning", which in this context has been used to depict the speed as to which the ambulance is moving in order to save lives of the men who were on the battlefield during the battlefield.
Another literary feature found in this poem, is that of alliteratory. In the poem, alliteration has been used to slow down the pace of the poem, to emphasize the pain, the suffering of the people on the battlefield, who risk their lives. However another way to pass that would be to emphasize the miseries, the obstacles of life, which have to be overcome by a common man. Take for example the line "mammoth", "morning", "moved". These words when put together can signify the importance of the morning of the day, in a common man's life or the man on the battlefield. "Mammoth" can signify large, humongous, and significant. "Moved" signifies that it has passed. Take for example if Mammoth is large. In this context, it would mean that it was a large day for a common man because of the number of obstacles he has to overcome or it is a large day for a soldier, who has a lot to do. Thus this literary feature has been used in the poem, to emphasize the pain, suffering and obstacles that a common man has to overcome.
The poem comprises of a lot of figures of speech. In line 4, a metaphor has been used. the "birds" that "died" or "flown", Their green and silent attics sprouting now with "branches of leafed steel, hiding round eyes" and "ripe grenades" ready to "drop and burst". All these words, when put together or if analyzed the way it is, will infer that the "birds" being referred to are the War planes. The "branches of leafed steel", refer to the wings of the plane. "Hiding round eyes" and "ripe grenades", refer to missiles and fresh grenades, which are ...
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The poem comprises of a lot of figures of speech. In line 4, a metaphor has been used. the "birds" that "died" or "flown", Their green and silent attics sprouting now with "branches of leafed steel, hiding round eyes" and "ripe grenades" ready to "drop and burst". All these words, when put together or if analyzed the way it is, will infer that the "birds" being referred to are the War planes. The "branches of leafed steel", refer to the wings of the plane. "Hiding round eyes" and "ripe grenades", refer to missiles and fresh grenades, which are ready to be dropped, and "birds" have been used to show that they fly. We know that a War plane flies and drops bomb, which is identical to what is being depicted in those lines. In the very next line, the "fallen rider", is a metaphor in which the "fallen rider" refers to the pilot of the plane, because a pilot does fly a plane, which rides in the air. Therefore, "fallen rider" refers to a pilot who is hugging his "dead machine", which is used to depict the war plane that may have been destroyed or may have crashed. The next few lines depict the moving of the ambulance. The words "churning" and "stumbling" signify that the ambulance is moving very fast in order to move the patients around. "Mortal Freight" is used as a metaphor used to refer to the body which is being taken to the hospital. "Mortal" is used in the metaphor to signify something that can die and thus we can deduce that it is a living object that is being taken away, and keeping in mind that this is a poem about wars, we can say that the body being taken is that of a human-a soldier or a wounded victim of the war. In the third stanza, a simile is identifiable. "The road was empty, but it seemed to wait" The road was empty, because the ambulance has left and is waiting for it to come back to take other patients. The emptiness of the road is being compared to a play without its cast, as it too is waiting for its cast to come. In the following lines a metaphor is noticed in which "traffic" is referred to the new patients or in other words, the new wounded people. In The next stanza, there is another metaphor, where the drowsiness of the "walking wounded" is compared to "drinking the dark".
The poet has used an immense number of images to portray the images of war.
Words such as "blood", "died", and "death", reoccur throughout the passage. "Blood" is a symbol which is clearly linked with war. "Blood" in one of the instance, is used to depict the color, in another instance, it is used for its smell, to indicate the ferocity of the war. "Death" and "Died" frequently reoccur in the poem, to signify the loss of another soldier. The poet has also used other images such as that of the ambulance and war planes to setup the perfect scene for a war time situation.
An interesting feature in this poem is the diction used in the poem. The use of onomatopoeia and the alliteratory, play a significant part in imparting the pain and suffering of war. Words like "churning" and sentences like "gruel of mud and leaves in the mauled lane, smelled sweet, like "blood", impart a feeling of what it was like on the battlefield during the war. Words like "Ominous" wheels have been used to show the significance of the ambulance in the poem. "Bandaged cries", for the ear's to feel what it was like to be on the battlefield. The poet, in a way has made sure that he has managed to make every sensory organ of the user, feel the pain of a man on the battlefield.
The pace of this poem is quite slow, purely to emphasize the pain and suffering of the man on the field. The use of onomatopoeia and allitoratory, only decrease the pace of the poem.
The title of the poem is very significant. In this poem the "Walking Wounded" can be compared to a common human. The walking wounded certainly will be the ones on the battlefield, who risk their lives due to the "birds", "the absent minded guns" and to follow it up, they are taken to the hospital and have to return to the battlefield to fight again. The walking wounded would come "straggling the road like convicts loosely changed", no matter how exhausted, no matter how despairing. Their eyes, would "drink the dark", some would come with their clothes having blood stains on them, which is a clear indication that they had just fought on the battlefield and have come back for more. Not to mention that they have not had glorious lives unlike some. They have had humble brotherhood and no splendor in their company. But even then when the ambulances are clear and when they are needed, they always bear arms again. This entire situation can be compared to the life of a common man. Let the "birds" and "the absent minded guns" are obstacles which come in the way of a common man. They have to overcome all the obstacles and return back to the battlefield-life. No matter how tired, no matter how exhausted and no matter how despairing. But even then, when they don't have support, they emerge fighting against all obstacles, because just like the walking wounded, they too don't have a choice. However there is another group of people, one above all of these people. The Hero's who live a happy life and are then put in decorated coffins and even lead a wonderful death!, they don't have to come back when needed, they don't have to torment themselves like the walking wounded or a common man. This poet is dedicated to the "walking wounded" and the common man. The people who can endure, the people who can withstand obstacles and fight, the people who have guts and are ready to put their life at stake if required, this is the significance of the title.
The poet concludes in a manner, using powerful words and praises the "Walking Wounded". The poet knows that when the "Hero's" are gone, the walking wounded will be there. When the ambulances have disappeared and some people are needed to fight, the walking wounded would arise, and when the walking wounded have to walk down that lane for fighting again, they must bear arms and fight. Honestly, I think we can all say that if anyone deserves to be called "heroes", it is the "Walking Wounded".
As mentioned before, the entire poem is an extended metaphor of the life of a common man in comparison the life of the Walking Wounded. A common man follows the footsteps of the Walking Wounded, in every aspect.
The poem uses a lot of imagery and literary features which is depicted throughout the poem.
