‘And mangled limbs, and dying groans,’
This view gives a more graphic and realistic image to what war was really like. The second stanza is used to shock the readers so they can understand the true horrors of war. By using two contrasting stanzas, Scott effectively presents his criticism on the way people perceive war.
Another way John Scott presents his ideas is by creating strong and powerful images. In the poem he uses personification to do this. In the poem personification is used when it says
‘And all that Misery’s hand bestows
To fill the catalogue of human woes.’
This quotation immediately paints a chilling image of death. As ‘Misery’s’ starts in a capital letter it instantly captures the readers attention. It also emphasises the hatred of the slaughter felt by the writer.
The poem similarly to the Send-off has an ominous feel to it. The poem is also like a beat of a drum. The writer does this by at the end of each line; Scott uses punctuation such as commas, to slow down the pace of the poem. Another method that Scott uses to make the poem sound like a beat of the drum is by using rhyming. One example can be seen on the first lines of the stanza, where it says ‘sound’ and ‘round’. The rhyme gives the poem rhythm, which makes the poem sound like a drum.
In Wilfred Owen’s poetry he presents the idea that sacrifice, is not being fully appreciated. This can be seen at the beginning of the poem when the soldiers are being sent off on the train. The lack of support is suggested by the stillness of the poem. Especially when it says
‘They were not ours’
Owen is trying to show that these men are sacrificing their lives for their country, so therefore there should be some more support.
The Send-off shows the ignorance of the slaughter back at home. In the poem there are clear differences between what people at home think is happening in the war and the actual realities that the soldiers face at the frontline. This can be seen by the idea of the flowers.
‘Their breasts were stuck all white with wreath and spray.’
The flowers here are supposed to be for celebration, however the colour suggests something else entirely. The fact that the wreath is white gives the impression of a funeral. This is showing that Owen’s view is that once the soldiers are sent off there is a slim chance of them ever returning. However, the wearing of the flowers implies that the people at home do not understand the full implication of the war. This just makes Owen’s criticism even bitterer.
In the last stanza, it shows the few soldiers that have survived the front line have been affected by what they have seen. Their return is a complete contrast to how they were sent off to war. In the poem it says
‘A few, a few, too few for drums and yells,
May creep back, silent, to village wells’
This is showing that the few soldiers, who do make it home, do not wish to be treated as heroes. Instead they prefer to be left alone, so they can cope with the suffering that they have seen. As the soldiers return silently proves, that they do not wish to talk about the realities of war and the mass slaughter they have witnessed. Owen’s view is that the soldiers will be forever scarred and haunted by the war.
Owen presents his ideas by given the poem a quiet tone. This gives the poem a sinister feel to it. Down the ‘close darkening lanes’, creates a image and sense of claustrophobia that the lanes are fatefully closing in on them, implying that it is a point of no return. Owen also emphasises his anti-war views by including an oxymoron in his poem
‘And lined the train with faces grimly gay.’
Owen is showing that the people going to wave the soldiers off are supposed to be happy. However as certain death looms for most of the soldiers, it shadows the mood of the supporters.
I do not agree that Scott’s poem is more effective than Owen’s to communicating its message. Though in Scott’s poem, the writer clearly shows it’s anti-war message by mentioning
‘And widows’ tears, and orphans’ moans;’
The contrast of the two stanzas makes these words even more powerful. These two lines, clearly present Scott’s view on the destruction and damage, the war causes. As the poem is written in rhyming couplets it effectively shows the writers message. The structure and content of the poem is simple, which helps enforce the message. However, on the other hand, I believe, Owen’s message is far more chilling. Even though Owen’s message is not stated, the readers have a clear view on Owen’s view of the war. The mere mention of ‘siding-shed’ immediately gives the readers the image of slaughterhouses. So the readers are prepared for the soldier’s fate. Scott’s aim is for the readers to know his hatred of the war, while Owen wants the readers to know the truth about the war. Owen seems to want the poem to shock the reader, which is why I think the short lines, that stand out are so haunting. An example of this is
‘In wild train-loads?’
The question mark really drives home about how many soldiers are not returning, because of the sacrifice they have to make. Also as Owen criticises people at home’s view on the war, it gets the readers thinking about how they too perceive the war. Therefore, I feel that Owen’s message is more effective than Scott’s.
