How is War Presented in Three WW1 Poems of Your Choice? Dulce Et Decorum Est, Fall In andThe Soldier

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‘How is War Presented in Three WW1 Poems of Your Choice?’

In the year 1914, a global military conflict broke out, mostly taking place in Europe. The Great War left millions of soldiers, from both sides of the opposition, dead, or severely wounded. Moreover, it drastically re-shaped the modern world as a result of innovative ideas and developments. There are numerous views of war; the majority greatly vary from each other. Such contrasts, as it were, can be seen in the form of poems written at the time. Hence, from analysing the work of poets, it could be considered that the attitudes of war are presented in ways which differ, or perhaps, several of the poems may have established similar interpretations. Furthermore, most of the poets aimed to illustrate the ideas of their poem through the use of poetic techniques, allowing the reader to comprehend the various aspects of the poem with greater ease.  Three poems of World War One highlight several of the different factors of war, each exploring the topic in their own way. ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ is about the horrific reality and atmosphere of war; it describes the trauma of experiencing a gas attack. ‘Fall In’ is a recruitment poem, which attempts to convince men to enlist war as a means of conveying elements of shame and guilt. ‘The Soldier’ is a poem laced with sentimentality and nationalism; a far cry from the themes of other works during the time.

In the poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est,’ the poet, Wilfred Owen, evidently portrays a negative general attitude to war, which can be detected even from the moment the poem commences. This can be seen when he expresses that the soldiers were: ‘Deaf even to the hoots of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.’ Five Nines were 5.9" artillery shells used to fire gas; this particular line is one of two versions, and is in fact, the original. Owen made the decision to write an alternative line in which more people would be familiar with, as he desired to broaden his audience. Anyhow, the line advocates that the men are somewhat oblivious to the war that is continuing around them. It highlights the point that they have been forced to withstand war for such a long period of time that they have become 'deaf' as a consequence. In addition, it could suggest that the soldiers are so exasperated with war that it has had a subconscious effect on them. The poetic technique of personification is used to describe the shells as 'tired,' which gives the impression that the author thinks that the war is pointless and has been occurring for so long that even the shells have become wary of this futile catastrophe. From this, it is possible to realise the overall attitudes that Owen feels, regarding war. Comparatively, Harold Begbie takes on the view that war is necessary in ’Fall In,’ thus promoting war as a positive event: ‘What will you lack, sonny, what will you lack,’ Therefore, the opening line of the poem illustrates the pressure placed on men throughout war, for the repetition along the line causes the reader to feel as if they have no choice. The words are posed as a rhetorical question, yet may make the reader have the desire to answer, as the question displayed is intimidating and forceful, in a seemingly positive manner. From this perspective, ‘no’ appears to be an exceptionally unlikely reply, as the phrase instantly provokes various reasons in the reader’s mind as to why war is the only path to take. As well as that, there is also the use of colloquial language, which adds to the effect. Words such as ‘sonny’ are rather informal, and would have been used by local people. This is a fine technique, as it makes it appear as Begbie is talking directly to the reader; it is language that the reader would use themselves, and would therefore be familiar with. Hence, the line is an example of the fact that the poem is intent only on persuading men to enlist, and scarcely considers the fact that one may not return from war. It attempts to maintain a positive view all throughout, which is a great comparison to ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est.’ However, ‘The Soldier’ introduces another attitude to war, stating the probable death of a soldier, in spite of the fact that the poem has little to do with dying.  The poet, Rupert Brooke, reflects idealism and optimism in the face of war, and the voice in ‘The Soldier’ talks about his untimely death in a fiercely patriotic manner, undaunted by his likely demise. When referring to the foreign field in which he will be buried, he claims that: ‘There’s some corner of a foreign filed that is for ever England.’ In other words, the figurative language in “The Soldier” defines the poem and displays the message, but also supports the fact that Brooke’s poem approaches the horrors of war in an indirect and romantic manner. In this line, the poet is using the field as a metaphor for the simple graveyards soldiers were buried in; he is addressing war in a lighter tone. Moreover, patriotism shines through this line, as the author emphasizes the fact that even if the soldier should die fighting, he shall be satisfied, as he recognizes that there will always be a little piece of England. Thus, even if he dies in battle, it does not matter where; a slice of his country will die with him, almost conquering a fraction of the other country. According to the words of this line, England will last forever, whatever the outcome of war.

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In the first stanza of ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est,’ the pace is very slow and a painstaking rhythm is established through Owen's use of heavy, long words. This illustrates how painstaking and slow the war was, and, additionally, portrays the aspects related to day-to-day life in the trenches: ‘Bent double, like old beggars under sacks.’ The first clause  'Bent double,' is a hyperbole which creates the impression of extreme exhaustion, and the image that is conveyed is that the soldiers have no energy left and are constantly in excruciating agony. Additionally it suggests that the men are struggling with the ...

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