Also, throughout the first and second stanzas Hardy uses foreign words and phrases in the Dutch language in order to tell us of the futility of his death and to emphasize the fact that it was like rubbing salts into the drummer’s wounds. Hardy obviously feels like it is a slap in the face for the drummer. It also depicts the reality of where he is and where he will rest forever. This is shown particularly with the phrase ‘his landmark is a kopje-crest’. Hardy also uses stark contrasts in the second and last stanza to convey his thoughts of the Boer War. Firstly with the words ‘fresh’ and ‘dusty’ telling of the difference the war has made to the drummer in that before the war he was ready and fresh however he now turns to dust on a ‘foreign soil’. Also, in the final verse the contrast is with the words ‘northern’ and ‘southern’. This contrast emphasis’s the great gap between him and his home, one that will probably never be closed. He uses this as an example to show that this can affect millions of others as well.
In the poem Hardy also uses literary terms to get his message across. There is assonance placed with the Dutch words ‘broad karoo’. The purpose of this was to emphasize that this was a word the drummer did not understand and also that he was small and insignificant compared to the area he was fighting in. Hardy uses the alliteration ‘strange stars’ to show the significance of the stars looking different from the southern hemisphere. The poem has a very symmetrical structure with a regular 1, 2, rhyme scheme. Also, the rhythm of the poem resembles the beating of the drum. I believe this is used as a shock tactic for the reader in contrast to the futile nature of the theme and text.
I think Hardy wrote Drummer Hodge to show us the pointlessness, futility and Irony of war through the fact that drummer Hodge’s final resting-place was in a country he probably loathed. Also, he tries to educate those who have a lack of understanding of the real horrors of war. He uses the Drummer Hodge as a symbol of the pain and injustice war inflicts on the masses.
The poet Alfred Tennyson deals with the reality of war in a much more forgiving fashion. In the poem ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ he tells the famous story of the British regiment during the Crimean War, where the orders were mistaken by a British cavalry commander with disastrous results:
‘Someone had blundered’
He told his men to charge the main Russian position, a valley filled with artillery. The horsemen obeyed gallantly but were gunned down like tin cans. It is the best known example of both the heroism and stupidity of war.
Tennyson sets his poem around a real event but his stance on this event is different to what others might be. He concentrates not on the futility of the story but with the unbounding heroism with which the soldiers will always be remembered. This can be seen in the lines:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to question why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of death
Here Tennyson is suggesting that even though many of the soldiers knew of the obvious mistake and the pointlessness of their actions they did not question the general and gave up their lives for their country, which to them was probably a dream come true. The use of end line rhyme places emphasis on this. Tennyson celebrates this heroism in the poem and this is emphasised by his constant description of the Russian Position as ‘Jaws of Death’ ‘Mouth of Hell’ and most commonly the ‘Valley of Death’. The latter almost personifies the valley making the situation seem even more daunting. This has the effect of outlining the bravery of the soldiers. He challenges anti war views and their holders to dare criticise those men for their act of supreme heroism. This is epitomised with the phrase in the last stanza:
‘When can their glory fade…?
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the light brigade,
Noble six hundred!
This is a glorious ending with its pulsing rhythm representing the gallop of the horses’ shows the admiration held by Tennyson for those men. The idea of the horses galloping also attracts the idea of nobility.
The poem ‘War’ by Edgar Wallace is an ironic and bitter account of the medicine practised during wartime. Nobility has a very small part to play in this poem. I think that the title of this piece alone has a poignant point to make about the merits of war. Its simple and blunt title let us know that the story contained in the poem is really just an allegory of the horrors of war in general. Wallace is trying to convey to the reader the fact that people are not treated like people in a war, but like pawns, or objects. This can plainly be seen with the works ‘and on it a Case’ even to the doctor who is overworked and exhausted the soldier is just a thing. Another important aspect of this poem, one that repeated many times is the use of the word ‘war’ throughout the piece. Each time it is used it is printed with a capital letter and italics. There is also an exclamation mark after it always. This has a powerful effect on the reader as they are treated to a mockery of the pro-war thinkers. The parody of the glory and pomp associated with war is contrasted with the undignified slaughter and healthcare that is sandwiched between. Archaic language helps to bring the piece to life. Words such as ‘O, Hark’ and ‘orderly’ help to give the piece first hand authority.
Irony is ever-present in this piece of literature. We see it first in the bitter joke ‘a table that’s laid out for one’. Although in all probability that table is the place that the man is going to die, it is made akin to the Laying of a restaurant table. Irony is also used in the phrase ‘a very unhealthy trade.’ As they are comparing the hospital to a tradesman’s workplace; working on objects, not people. Another recurring theme is the theme of light. It is used several times throughout the piece, ‘orderly, hold the light’, ‘the flickering light of a soul’ both these examples hold very different meanings. The first is an example of the extreme stress that the surgeons are put under, while the other is a metaphor for drifting in and out of consciousness. These have the effect of engaging the reader while also appealing to the sense of light.
We see the personification of the guns on the eighth line of the poem. This helps to bring home to the reader the futility and death that is associated with the war. Almost like there is more life in some of the guns than the people that have been shot down by them.
This poem could easily be mistaken as a criticism of the surgeons and the medical profession during times of war, however I believe that it is really a tribute to their dedication and skill. The real people that are attacked in this poem are those higher up in the establishment who began the war. He criticises them for letting their own people die and get themselves into the situations described in the poem.
In conclusion I have studied three poems, each with contrasting views on the issue of war. None to me are right or wrong because I believe that sometimes war is justified, however many times it is not. My favourite poem of all that I have studied would have to be drummer Hodge, the reason for this is the empathy and pathos that is emitted from the poem. I feel that I can relate to the views expressed by Hardy.
