Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?’ This shows that Pope’s outlook on the war was it was not for cowards but men who will fight for their country and protect their families in every way they can. This is compared to a game like rugby, which was a popular sport amongst men at this time, whilst meaning who will rise to this duty with no fear, again appealing to masculine instinct and encouraging men to recruit. The final line: ‘And who thinks he’d rather sit tight?’ In other words she is asking who would rather be a coward and not do anything – the purpose of this line is to evoke quilt within the men so when it comes to making the decision the questions will linger in their minds. The ‘quilt trip’ was not uncommon at this time and was a useful strategy of putting them in awkward positions felling embarrassed if they do choose not to fight but stay at home taking the easy route. This corresponds with poetry such as ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon.
The second verse talks of patriotism, ‘who’ll give his country a hand’ in fighting against the enemy. This was known as xenophobic or jingoistic poetry – a very popular form of poetry at the time as posters such as the Kitchener appeal and other poets were alongside this. This is again is in reference to the cowardice of those who do not join in comparison with those willing to give their lives to their country. The cowards are the man with a ‘seat in the stand’ that are compared with the men ‘who want a turn to himself in the show’. The reference to war as a ‘show’ is creating a false impression like it was a performance just as it being called a ‘game’ and in the fist line of this verse to ‘the signal “go!”’ Again this creates a ambiguous atmosphere, but contains some truth as the signal ‘go’ was for the soldiers to ‘go over the top’ of the trenches to their likely deaths. This line also gives a choice between becoming a hero and watching the heroes in safety at distance.
“Who knows it won’t be a picnic – not much” is the fist line of stanza three, it summarises Pope’s attitude to war as she says ‘not much’. This could be translated two different ways, either sarcastically, making the point that it will not be easy and a strain on them and the country but it will show there bravery. In the other hand it could mean it could be hard at times but probably not because she may mean what she says, that she believes that it will not be hard and continuing the image she has created so far. Jessie Pope asks, ‘who would much rather come back with a crutch?’ This is followed on from the pattern of rhetorical questions trying to draw people in grabbing their attention asking whether they would rather return home with a minor injury as highly respectable soldiers. Even though Pope ‘down plays’ the injuries as quite insignificant when truthfully they might return having lost a limp or even not return at all but she still makes the point that it would be better to do this than ‘lie low’ out of harms way.
The final verse shows a good use of poetry language such as colloquial language when she writes ‘Come along, lads – but you’ll come on all right’ the effect of this is it makes the poem more personal to the reader and appealing to men of all classes on a friendly level. Another example that Jessie Pope uses colloquial language is: ‘up to her neck in the fight’ this not only makes it personal but makes it seem like Britain is a damsel in distress which activates the male instinct to protect. This is an example of personification referring to Great Britain as a woman in need of protection arousing men’s courageous instinct and urgency to fight and defend all they consider dear to them. Pope uses this skill again by saying ‘she’s looking and calling for you’ it also makes it personal by saying ‘you’ talking directly to the person who reads it demanding them to enrol immediately as it is targeted straight at them. Finally, Pope used rhetorical questions throughout the poem, which keeps the reader involved yet again making it more personal. The poet does not constantly use questions in the last stanza because she personalises it in other ways by commanding them to join to rescue their country, respond to its call for help and using ‘you’.
In conclusion it is a very simple and assertive poem that was popular with the general public as Jessie Pope’s writing contained the normal indifferent public’s view that supported the war from the safety of their home. The poem, ‘Who’s for the game?’ were disliked by some for the misleading remarks but also admired by others for the basic language which was easy for all to comprehend. The attitudes expressed in the poem were that war should not be treated as a serious and avoided subject but something that should be enjoyed by courageous men willing to fight for their country without hesitation and men who were not eager to join were considered cowards and should be ashamed.
