Once again irony is again used as the reader is well aware that the soldiers are in actual fact going to their graves.
Owen has quite a different approach to the second stanza as alliteration is used. It was said that ‘Their, breasts were stuck all white with wreath and spray’ (Line 4)
The use of alliteration creates doesn’t only emphasis, but the rhyme scheme of ABA makes the words more memorable for the reader.
What both ‘Joining the Colours’ and ‘The Send Off’ have in common is that they are set in a way that takes a step forward. Both poems are set in the tense where the soldiers are on their way to the war. Having both poems in this tense shows that both poets wanted to skip to the part which conveyed the most dramatic feelings.
In “The Send Off”, the strong feelings that Owen conveys to the reader about the soldiers are quite direct. Owen writes that the ‘Dull porters watched them and a casual tramp stood staring hard’ (Lines 6-7).
Owen is describing the feelings of the porters that are looking on. This shows how naive the soldiers are. Owen is trying to express to the reader that everyone but the soldiers are aware of the danger and the risk of joining up.
In “Joining the Colours”, Katherine Tynan conveys strong feelings for the soldiers going off to the war in a very bold and daring way. Tynan writes that they ‘pipe their way to glory’ but later goes on to say ‘and their grave’ (Line 10). She is showing that the soldier’s view of the war is in a way an unrealistic one as they are unaware of the danger that is to come. She ends the line with view of passers who are aware of the danger of the war.
I think that in 'Joining the colours', Katherine Tynan ends the final lines of each stanza with a powerful effect.
'The mother's sons... Into the dark... Love cannot save... Singing they pass' (Lines 4, 8 12 and 16)
The shortness of the irregular lines of each stanza adds to the suspense and the drama.
Owen uses the same effect in a different way as he 'To the siding-shed... As men's are, dead... Stood staring hard...' (Lines 2, 5, and 7)
Owen uses an effect which makes a chill go down the reader’s spine whereas when
In ‘Joining the colours’ the approach to the war is in a way livelier. The soldiers are more confident about the war and are more gallant.
‘High heart, High courage’
The ‘Send Off’ is more saddening as the feelings conveyed are more the opposite. Both the soldier’s and their families know that they will later have no choice but to feel the sorrow and strain that the war is to bring.
To conclude, I believe that both poets convey strong feelings about the soldiers going off to the war in two different ways. Tynan approaches it with both positive and negative ways which covey’s strong feelings from both parties. Whereas Owen approach involves distress, sadness and sorrow throughout the poem. He shows more of the reality of the war.
Well – is he? Through the irony, you might infer that Owen is also suggesting the trenches – that is how irony works, subtly, through inference, not through any obvious “referring to”.
Well – if the meaning is “hidden” there would be no “running wild”. The irony allows the reader to feel sadness for these men, I would say.
This is not a good way to open a paragraph., You need to open with a valid POINT that helps answer the essay question, then support the point with a useful QUOTATION/EXAMPLE from the text , then finish with a substantial COMMENT or discussion on the qualities of the language and literary/poetic qualities of the quotation always referring to important aspects such as the poet’s themes.
Well okay – but irony is, as I said above, subtle. This means that the poet’s words create a kind of “clash” between what is actually said and what is inferred. Irony is created by developing a subtle and “edgy” “gap” between what is said and what is meant.
Well, it’s not a fact, of course – it’s a real possibility.
...in his second stanza...
...which he makes more evident by choosing to use alliteration...
Well – there is no rhyme scheme in your quotation so this is confusing and you must AT ALL TIMES be clear. Words like “stuck” also stand out and maybe even hint at the bayonet’s that will be “stuck” into them? Also, the flowers are described as both “wreath” (i.e. as at a funeral and “spray”. You haven’t really said anything about Owen’s “different approach” so this statement has been left stranded (thus = no marks)
It’s unclear what you mean.
Again – unclear. You are trying to use terms you don’t yourself fully understand (tense). It is ALWAYS much better to write using expressions that you are confident about.
Well – it’s a little late in your essay to make such an introductory statement as this.
Indeed – but your job is to explain HOW and WHY he does – what EFFECT it creates and WHY it is done (i.e. to contribute in some important way to the poet’s themes and ideas explored in the poem).
Well –you make the soldiers out to be rather foolish – but you don’t explain why. Why would the people “know” but not the soldiers? Is this made clear – and if it is why and how?
As above – this is an introductory statement not a part of the later argument.
