Explore the different ways in which "The Send Off" and "Joining The Colours" reveal each poets feelings about soldiers leaving for war. The poems "The Send Off and "Joining the Colours" are both quite similar, they

In "The send Off the men seem to be quite old in comparison with the soldiers in "joining the Colours", in this poem we see many indications that the men are not boys, in "Joining the Colours the boys kissed the girls running along with them, which makes you think of playing kiss chase as a child, but in "the Send Off" the women give the men flowers, "Nor there if they yet mock what women meant who gave them flowers" this seems a more adult thing to do, it is more sophisticated. However in "Joining the Colours" we know that the men are quite young, "smooth cheeked and golden, "Foolish and young, the gay and golden boys" and "the mothers sons" these are all quite effective as these boys don't know that they will die and we get the image that they are so young and innocent.

In The Send Off" it is all very secret and they try not to let anyone see that the soldiers are returning to the front line, "Down the close darkening lanes" whereas in "Joining the Colours" they make no secret of the fact that they are going off to war, "They they go marching all in step so gay!" and "On the high tram tops, singing like the lark" it is like the soldiers want everyone to know that they are going off to war, to fight for their country, but in "The Send Off" they don't want anyone to know because they are older and more experienced they know that going off to war is not something to shout to the world about.

The form of the two poems are also different, in "the Send Off" Wilfred Owen uses three line stanzas and then two line stanzas, there is no real distinct rhythm, but the lines are continuous and there are no caesuras, however in "Joining the Colours" Katherine Tynan Hinkson uses a Ballard form, this is effective as it empathizes how young the soldiers are, as it is quite song like and Ballards are often used in children's verse, similarly the two poems have alternate rhyming patterns and in "Joining the Colours" there is monosyllabic words at the end of each line, this quickens the pace and adds to a marching effect that is created with the steady rhythm of the poem, we also see an effective last line to the end of each stanza, they are associated with death, such as: "Into the dark" and "singing they pass" they all have just three lines which empathises the death more and they are so short, they do not directly say the soldiers will die, as the boys are so young, so they cover the terms with imagery instead, Hinkson tries to soften the words.

Another difference between the two poets is that Hinkson uses motherly phrases and refers to the soldiers as "mother's sons", she writes from a mother's perspective as her words are not blunt. However in 'the Send Off' Wilfred Owen knows exactly what will happen to the soldiers and shows the reader this, he tells it like it is, which is the opposite to what a mother would do to their son. Hinkson writes like she is looking on at these boys, like a mother saying goodbye to her son, however Owen writes like he is one of the soldiers, he deals with the soldiers feelings and how it really is to go off to war, but Hinkson deals with the emotional side.

Both of the poems have a lot of imagery and personification, in 'The Send Off' Owen uses inanimate objects around the train station to personify the conspiracy "then unmoved, signals nodded, and a lamp winked to the guard" even the signals are in the secret.

In "Joining The Colours" it is the street that is personified, "the drab street stares to see them row on row" however this is to show that the soldiers came from a poor area. Just as death is shown in "joining The Colours", it is also shown in Owen's poem, "And lined the train with faces grimly gay" this is also an oxymoron, in "Joining The Colours" we see a contrast, "They pipe their way to glory and the grave" this is also alliteration which makes it slightly bitter in tone.

Natalie Crouchley 11a