“Fall In” by Harold Begbie became tremendously popular after appearing in the Daily Chronicle. It was set to music and sung in Music halls. Posters and badges were produced relating to this poem. This poem consists of four verses each containing eight lines. An ABABCDCD rhyming scheme is used, again a jolly set place. The first eight lines are questions; the last eight make a statement. The author repeats himself in the first line of every verse and uses capital letters to emphasis important points and words. “What will you lack, sonny, what will you lack?” The use of the noun “sonny” is repeated in every verse because the recruitment poems were aimed at young male readers. Begbie’s use of colloquial language suggests he is talking to the reader in a rather informal manner. Constant use of rhetorical questions such as “But what will you lack when your mate goes by with a girl who cuts you dead?”
Verse one suggests that girls only find men from the armed forces attractive, they would have no interest in a man who didn’t fight for his country as quoted in lines two and three “When the girls line up the street, shouting their love to the lads come back.” Such a man would not be considered brave or courageous. Verse two implies any man not having taken part in this Great War would make his family ashamed of him “But where will you look when they give you the glance that tells you they know you funked”. His lack of commitment and courage during a time when all others would be fighting for what they believed in. This theme continues into verse three which warns the reader that he will be ostracized by friends and family and will have no place amongst those who were a part of the war. In verse four the author gives a message which would have played on the conscience and values of the people at that time. In lines three and four Begbie gives a message of responsibility and duty to God, King and Country “Is it naught to you if your country fall, and right is smashed by wrong?” A very powerful and compelling argument. Throughout the poem Begbie’s objective is to instil guilt in the reader, forcing him to sign up.
Poems written in the trenches told the truth about war. Expressing how terrible war could really be. Soldier poets used their poems as a way of expressing their emotions and fears. They despised recruitment poets seeing them as watching the war from the safety of their homes, not knowing what it was really like to be in war. Trench poems were often written in hospitals as the poet was recovering from the emotional trauma he had suffered in the field. Two popular trench poets were Seifried Sassoon and Wilfried Owen. Wilfred Owen wrote some of his poems at Craiglockhart war hospital, which specialised in emotional and mental trauma. Owen was suffering from shell shock, and so was another famous trench poet Seifried Sassoon. Sassoon encouraged and
improved Owens work helping him to produce his war experience poems.
Siefried Sassoon wrote “Suicide in the trenches”, a poem about a young boy soldier who committed suicide because of the conditions in the trenches were appalling. They were wet, muddy and disease was rampant. “Suicide in the trenches” consists of three verses each having four lines. Between the second and third verses a pause is required by the author to allow the reader time for reflection and to add to the effectiveness of the poem. Sassoon uses alliteration such as “Simple soldier” and an AABB rhyming scheme.
In the first verse this poem paints a picture of the young carefree boy before he goes to war “Who grinned at life in empty joy”. The second verse explains the circumstance, which led to his death. The conditions in the trenches were shown to be full of disease and infestation,“With crumps and lice and lack of rum”. The last verse is full of contempt for the ignorance for those lucky enough never to have lived through such desperate times,”You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye”. The final line of this poem gives a dramatic and powerful end to this graphic, thought provoking work. “The hell where youth and laughter go”.
“Dulce et decorum est” by Wilfred Owen is written as an eyewitness account of the true horror of war. When writing this poem Owen uses many ugly textured words to portray his feelings about the war for example “Trudge and sludge. He also uses words that symbolise pain. “Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge”. “He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning”. There are similes present in this poem such as “Coughing like hags” and “flound ‘ring like a man in fire or lime”. There are a lot of descriptive verbs like “Plunges” “Trudged”. There are also metaphors, “Dim”. This is a very moving poem which brings home the torture and hideous side of war. The war of death destruction and pain. Owen’s description of war and its consequences are shocking and graphic and leaves little to the readers imagination. Owen tells the story of one individual soldier. In the last four lines Owen refers to the reader as “my friend”, leading the reader to believe Owen is someone they can trust to tell the truth. His message is that to die for one’s country is not glorious and heroic but ugly and desolate. He calls it “the old lie”.
Another of Wilfred Owens war poems is “Disabled”. This poem tells the story of the past present and future life of a disabled soldier. It uses images of his depression and isolation. It compares the life he used to have with the life he has now. Owen paints the picture of a young, active handsome man who now is dependent on others.
Verse one concentrates on how this soldier has been left by war “Leggless sewn short at elbow”. How his memories haunt him “Voices of play and pleasure after day.” In verse two the soldier recalls evenings spent partying with beautiful young girls “About this time town used to swing so gay.” “Before he threw away his knees”. He realises that he will never have the attention of girls again because of his injuries, “All of them touch him like some queer disease. The soldier recalls in verse three how healthy and handsome he was until he was wounded,”There was an artist silly for his face”, “Now he is old and his back will never brace” “And half his lifetime lapsed in the hot race”. How his youth and strength were lost on the battlefield, “He’s lost his colour very far from here”. Verse four tells how he used to think himself tough and one of the lads “One time he liked a blood smear down his leg.” He was used to getting a knock or two on the football field. He joined up after he’d been drinking “When he’d drunk a peg he thought he’d better join.” He believed he’d look dashing in uniform and the girls would find him irresistible, a hero, “Please the giddy jilts” “And soon he was drafted out with drums and cheers.” He was under age, no one questioned him when he said he was nineteen, they didn’t care as long as he signed up. “Smiling they wrote his lie; aged nineteen years”. Verse five recollects how differently people reacted to him often wounding “Some cheered him home but not as crowds cheer Goal.” In verse six he thinks about his future. He will never be independent he will always need someone to take care of him. “Now he will spend a few sick years in institutes”, “And take whatever pity they dole.” He waits for death, it’s all he has to look forward to. “How late it is! Why don’t they come and put him into bed? Why don’t they come?”.
Overall I think the recruitment poems and poets fulfilled their aim in getting men to sign up. Their message was put across successfully though I think it is thanks to poets like Siefried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen that people understood the truth about World War 1 and the horrors it brought.
