Compare and contrast the presentation of war in 'Charge of the Light Brigade, Dulce et decorum est and After Blenheim'
Compare and contrast the presentation of war in 'Charge of the Light Brigade, Dulce et decorum est and After Blenheim'
For this piece of coursework I am going to summarise each poem and write about its form and structure, rhythm and any use of rhyme. I will do this for the three poems mentioned in the title and will end by comparing the poems to each other.
Charge of the Light Brigade:
The first lines of the poem throw the reader into the centre of action, with a rousing chant that drives the reader, in its description and in its galloping rhythm, toward the battle. A "league" is approximately three miles long so they had quite a long charge to get into the battle. The people at the time the poem was written would have been familiar with the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, which this poem is based on, and would have known from the beginning that they were charging to their own doom. The poem makes this clear quickly that the six hundred cavalrymen of the Light Brigade were aware of this themselves. The poem suggests that it is these moments before the battle has begun that are the Brigade's greatest glory. The phrase "Valley of Death" refers to an episode of John Bunyon's Pilgrim's Progress and to Psalm 23 from the New Testament of the Bible. In both of these it states that faith makes people brave when they are faced with death.
In the earliest published version of this poem the command to charge forward was attributed to Lord Nolan, a well-known military figure of the time. It was later changed the speaker to an anonymous "he". In addition to hiding the identity of the speaker, the final version of the poem changes the command given from "Take the guns" to "Charge for the guns!" This heightens the sense of the danger of the charge, while leaving the reason for charging into the blaring gunfire unnamed.
Line 9 repeats the shouted command that sends the Light Brigade to their doom then line 10 makes the reader wonder whether any of the soldiers were stricken with fear upon hearing the command. Although associate the word "dismay" with "shock," its meaning includes a "loss of courage". By raising this as a question and then answering that "no, there was no fear", Tennyson gives the reader a moment's pause to let the full extent of the soldiers' bravery sink in. Line 11 and line 12 tell the reader that every member of the Brigade knew that this order was a mistake. This contradiction, the fact that the soldiers knew they were likely to die because of a "blunder" in military strategy, still charged forward without fear, gives the poem a depth that would be lost if it merely celebrated the loyalty of soldiers who were unaware of the faulty command they were following.
Lines 13 to 15 repeat each other, in the way they phrase the rules that the soldiers live by. It suggests the regimented, militaristic way the members of the Light Brigade think as they ride ahead, and the effect of the strong use of repetition is to drown out concerns about the blunder mentioned in the previous stanza. "Theirs but to do and die" says that the soldiers are actually supposed to die, this might seem contrary to the purpose of fighting, but Tennyson makes it clear that this is the belief of the charging soldiers, for whom ...
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Lines 13 to 15 repeat each other, in the way they phrase the rules that the soldiers live by. It suggests the regimented, militaristic way the members of the Light Brigade think as they ride ahead, and the effect of the strong use of repetition is to drown out concerns about the blunder mentioned in the previous stanza. "Theirs but to do and die" says that the soldiers are actually supposed to die, this might seem contrary to the purpose of fighting, but Tennyson makes it clear that this is the belief of the charging soldiers, for whom such a fate would be the ultimate expression of loyalty. In lines 16 and 17, the perspective shifts from what the soldiers think of their mission to a view of the battle situation, again repeating the image of the "Valley of Death."
The first three lines of this stanza are virtually identical, changing the location of the cannons, instead of simply stating the fact that there were cannons all around. By repeating the phrase three times, the reader is not only given information about the tremendous odds against the Light Brigade, but the poem gives the feeling of being surrounded.
"Stormed" in line 22 extends the image of "thundered" from the line before it, making the barrage of cannon fire aimed at the cavalrymen appear almost like a force of nature. Line 23 makes a point of mentioning that the soldiers of the Light Brigade were brave, but that they also rode their horses well. Their skill is mentioned almost as an afterthought, and is the only place in the poem that it is brought up. The reason for this is that this poem makes its reader analyse the battle almost entirely in terms of attitude, not ability. In lines 24-26, Tennyson expands the phrase that was used to end the first two stanzas: instead of the geographic "Valley of Death," he uses the metaphor "Jaws of Death," and extends this metaphor with "mouth of hell." Treating death as the same thing as hell the poem increases the viciousness of death on the battlefield.
This stanza celebrates the Light Brigade's control over the battle at its beginning. They ride into the enemy line, using their sabres against opponents armed with cannons, and are able to break through the front line of defence. Sending a cavalry unit into the confined space of a valley against guns was so obviously hopeless, that it may be this, and not the brigade's initial success, that is referred to when the line "all the world wondered" appears in the middle of the battle scene. In this stanza, the Light Brigade takes such control of the situation that their opponents, the Cossacks and Russians, find their defensive line torn apart ("shattered and sundered") and have to retreat, while the six hundred cavalry members, who have by this time stared into the barrels of cannons and guns, continue to press forward bravely.
The first five lines of this stanza override any optimism the reader may have had from the Light Brigade's initial success. By using the same words as were used in stanza 3 (except that now the cannon are behind instead of in front of them) the poem takes the reader back to the same feeling of hopelessness that was established before the battle began. The brief victory that was gained in the fourth stanza has made no difference to the overall outcome of the battle. The first time these words were used they ended with a claim of the soldiers' boldness and skill, this time, they end with the soldiers (referred to as "heroes") being shot down. The path that the Light Brigade charged into, the jaws of death, the mouth of hell, is mentioned again as the survivors make their escape. The survivors of this battle are then raised to heroic status by the words that this poem uses to describe the valley's entrance.
The focus of the poem shifts in this stanza, from describing the battle scene to addressing the reader directly. In using the description "wild" to marvel at the charge, Line 51 implies that thoughtless bravery is to be admired, regardless of concerns about strategy or success. Repeating the line "All the world wondered" in line 52 adds to the idea that what the soldiers have done goes beyond the average person's comprehension: the soldiers are following rules that those who rely on intellect over loyalty might not understand. Although a close reading of the tone of this poem can leave little question about how we are meant to feel about these cavalrymen, the poem does not rely upon a reader's understanding of the tone, but directly tells the reader in line 53 and line 55 to honour these soldiers. The poem is so straightforward, it is an indicator that it was written for a common, maybe uneducated audience, to celebrate the actions of common soldiers who understood what they were being asked to do better than the blundering military strategists who planned the attack.
Dulce et decorum est
Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori translates as "It is sweet and great to die for one's country." This is a lie that young men who were potential soldiers in WWI believed. They were filled with false hopes and dreams of glory to convince them to go to war.
The "green sea" that Owen describes is the poisonous chlorine gas, which would cause bodies to swell, and even turn brass buttons green.
The first few lines which describe exhausted, sleepy, tired soldiers refers to the lack of sleep that the soldiers received while they were in the muddy trenches.
Owen uses very powerful imagery in this poem. Every line in the poem creates a vivid picture for the reader. There are several distinct themes of the imagery of this poem.
Sleep, Exhaustion, or Dreaming
line 1 - "like old beggars under sacks"
line 4 - "distant rest"
line 5 - "men marched asleep"
line 6 - "blink"
line 7 - "drunk with fatigue"
line 15 - "In all my dreams"
line 17 - "smothering dreams"
Trench Warfare
line 2 - "cursed through sludge"
line 4 - "began to trudge"
line 5 - "many had lost their boots" This could either mean that they have lost their boots because the mud was so deep, or that they had their feet amputated because of gangrene. The latter explanation seems more suitable because of the line that follows "limped on" and "blood-shod."
Ignorance or Loss of Sense
line 3 - "turned our backs"
line 6 - "blind"
line 7 - "deaf"
line 8 - "behind"
Lack of Co-ordination
line 7 - "drunk"
line 9 - "ecstasy of fumbling"
line 10 - "clumsy"
line 11 - "stumbling"
Effect of Chlorine Gas on a Soldier
line 19 - "white eyes writhing in his face"
line 21/22 - "blood / Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs"
line 24 - "vile, incurable sores"
The Good and Evil in People
line 20 - "devil's sick of sin"
line 22 - "corrupted"
line 24 - "innocent tongue"
Many of the soldiers in the war were not old enough to be men, but were too old to be children. In line 5, he says "men", and in line 12 he describes the soldier as "man". However, in line 9 he uses the word, "boys", and in line 26 he writes "children."
In this poem, Owens is describing his discovery that he, along with the other soldiers who went to war, was being lied to. They were told that the war would be short, and they expected to have a glorious adventure that they would be able to talk about for the rest of their lives. After going to war, they learned otherwise.
The theme of this poem is that war is not as glorious, romantic, or heroic as it has been described as being. Evidence of this can be found in the first stanza where Owen writes about tired, battle-weary, stumbling soldiers.
In the last 8 lines of the poem Owen basically says that if you experienced war, you would not be able to tell the glory-seeking youth the lies that were told to him. The message that he is trying to convey is that young people are very easily influenced, but they should not have been taken advantage of in the way that they were.
There are many poetic devices used in this poem. They include:
Similes
line 1 - "like old beggars"
line 2 - "coughing like hags"
line 12 - "like a man in fire"
line 20 - "like a devil's sick of sin"
line 23 - "bitter as the cud"
Symbols
line 24 - "vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues" (meaning evil lies were told to innocent people, or a loss of innocence.)
line 10 - "clumsy helmets" (helmets may mean the soldiers heads, because they could not think straight.)
Hyperbole
line 5 - "marched asleep" (the soldiers were extremely tired but they were not asleep.)
Oxymoron
line 26 - "desperate glory"
Climax
line 16 - "guttering, choking, drowning"
Repetition
lines 14/16 - "drowning"
Cacophony
line 2 - "Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge"
Onomatopoeia
line 22 - "gargling"
This poem has a definite pattern. The pattern is ABAB, CDCD... however line 8 of the poem breaks out of this pattern. There are ten syllables in most of the lines of this poem, and it would seem to be an Iambic pentameter, but the punctuation in the poem breaks each line into parts, which causes a discontinuous rhythm.
Owen uses a common, modern diction in this poem. It is as though he is speaking in a conversation. It is informal, as he uses words like "floundering" (line 12) and "hoots" (line 7). It is very descriptive: "ardent" (line 26), "ecstasy of fumbling" (line 9), "gas-shells dropping softly behind" (line 8).
My response to this poem is one of anger at the waste of lives, and the lying to the soldiers. I also felt sympathy for the soldiers and their families. This poem appeals to the emotions most, because the descriptions create an image so strong that I felt as though I could see the soldiers treading through the muddy trenches. I could imagine the panic in their eyes as they rushed to protect themselves from the thick green cloud that rapidly approached them. It made me realise how horrible the gas attack really was.
I especially thought that the use of Latin in the poem was well done. The description of the soldier who wasn't able to protect himself from the gas attack has the most meaning for me, because I can imagine what it must have been like to watch someone die a slow, painful death and not be able to do anything about it.
After Blenheim
