Pre 1914 War Poetry - The Drum and Drummer Hodge analysed.
English Coursework Pre-1914 War Poetry War is such a popular theme for poetry due to extremely different views on it, and how people can show their feelings about it through it. War is seen as brave, naïve, brutal, necessary, chivalrous, and wasteful by different people. The Drum is a strong anti war poem written by John Scott, a vicar. The drum focuses on the lure of war, how the 'drum's discordant sound' entices 'thoughtless youths' from 'cities and from fields'. It focuses on the cheap, spoils of war, the ignorance of the young men, the terrible destruction it can cause, and the most of all maintains a sense of hatred of the drum, and how it (metaphorically) caused all of this. The Drum begins with 'I hate that drum's discordant sound, / Parading round and round and round.' Without a hint of ambiguity, the hatred for the drum is shown ('I hate') and by the word discordant. Discordant has 2 meanings, something disagreeable or incompatible, and in a more musical form, an unpleasant collection of harsh, clashing notes which are out of tune. The discordance is the fact that it is making war appealing, a more metaphorical sense than the usually in tune, and relentless (as is shown throughout the poem) sound of the drum. Using 'discordant', a word which would usually not be associated by the steady beat of a military drum, allows John Scott to captivate his reader, and
War Poetry GCSE
War Poetry Coursework War is a very sensitive subject for some people. Many people have different views, for and against. Two historical figures who share these disbeliefs of whether war is moral or not with each other are Shakespeare and Wilfred Owen (a WW1 soldier). Shakespeare was very pro war, believing it was very noble to fight and possibly die for your country. On the contrary Wilfred Owen had experienced war first hand, unlike Shakespeare, so he could offer a more believable reason for being Anti-War. In a realistic world, Shakespeare is being very patriotic and is blanking himself from the reality. War is generally unpleasant and very graphic. However Shakespeare demonstrates a failure to grasp this point. Personally he has never been involved in any war or conflict so his reliability about the subject is left questionable where as Wilfred has actually fought in horrific condition and suffered we may be able to deem Wilfred's work more suitable for the truth on the subject. People's views were different in different times however and due to the vast time gap we may use this as a reasonable explanation for the varying viewpoints. Technology advances may be to blame for the change in opinion. Instead of fighting with swords which are a brutal accessories for war along with the most basic of guns, soldiers in Owens era had to battle using the even more brutal means,
The significance of the battle of the Somme
The significance of the battle of the Somme In military terms, there were many achievements by the British at The Battle of the Somme even though many losses were also sustained and instinctively it looked like a failure. The plan was to rise from the trenches and walk across no-mans land, slowly with arms spread wide. However, they were ignorant to the fact that the Germans were waiting for them with their machine guns at the ready. Many things went wrong with this assault for example some people say that the bombardment wasn't heavy enough, others say that enemy wire was not cut enough to let the allied troops through, leaving them as targets for machine guns, but many of the British shells were duds made by inexperienced workers and there was a considerable lack of communication between soldiers and from commanders over their battalions. Though this was appalling, it was a success in various ways. As a result of this failure they learnt from fatal mistakes for future battles such as the 2nd battle of the Marne on July 15th which assisted in winning the war. This, in theory, was a great step for the allies as it allowed a swifter and heavily improved attack. The Somme, in many ways, was more or less a training ground for Allied troops. Many machines were also enhanced as a result of their failure on the Somme such as the tanks which were perfected dramatically and could
Explore the similarities and differences between "The charge of the light brigade" and "The last of the light brigade".
Explore the similarities and differences between "The charge of the light brigade" and "The last of the light brigade". In this essay I will be comparing "The charge of the light brigade" to "The last of the light brigade". I will analyse the two poems for meanings to see which poem I preferred and why. "The charge of the light brigade" is about soldiers going off to war with the "Cossack and Russian". It shows the soldiers bravery and will-power. It explains why the soldiers were heroes and concentrates more on the optimistic and positive side of the war. It focuses on how the soldiers escaped the "mouth of hell". It was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. "The last of the light brigade" is about the same soldiers but a while after the war. The first poem focused on how they were heroes but "The last of the light brigade" explains that they are no longer heroes. It has a more pessimistic, negative point of view. The poem is about the soldiers begging Alfred Lord Tennyson to change the poem to tell the readers what is really happening to them. "You wrote we were heroes once sir. Please, write we are starving now." It is written by Rudyard Kipling. "The charge of the light brigade" was written to commemorate the soldiers who survived the war, calling them heroes. The author wanted us to experience the battle to help us realise how much was risked to save our country. Alfred
The battle of the Somme took place in the North- East of France on the 1st of July 1916
Battle of Somme The battle of the Somme took place in the North- East of France on the 1st of July 1916. Before the battle of the Somme started there was a lot to prepare such as getting the troops signed up in 1914. Many of these people didn't know what was going to come and joined up to impress neighbours, friends and family and for King, Country and empire. Men joined up from all different countries in Britain's empire these were South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, India and Ireland. They believed that it would be over by Christmas they didn't think that 91% of the soldiers would be killed or injured or that they were signing up for a death sentence. New regiments began to form and one of these was called 'Pals Battalions'. These were people from the same community who were friends all went to fight together and even die together. The first place to be attacked was Vimy Ridge which was on the western front and is now a memorial to those who died and had to stay in inhuman conditions. The divisions sent to Somme of the French were only 5 because some were involved in heavy the battle at Verdun. The British sent 14 which were about 400,000 men. There were 2 British main Generals Sir Henry Rawlingson and Sir Douglas Haig. The battle actually started 5 days before because British sent artillery bombardment into the German trenches to 'soften them up' before
Write a descriptive piece based on the theme of war or disability or degradation.
Original Writing Coursework for English Write a descriptive piece based on the theme of WAR or DISABILITY or DEGRADATION 41 OUT OF 54: B+ The morning had barely arrived by the time Roger, one of the soldiers in camp C2, had awoke. The time was six thirty and the corporals were up early for an unexpected and sudden inspection of their dormitory. One of them was a broad Scouser; the other had a strong Yorkshire accent. He was referred to as "Yorkie" by cheeky recruits because he was so fat. "Get up you lazy shites. GET UP." stormed the Major. "Go away," said Paul Grison murmuring to himself, but unaware of the corporals' level of hearing. "Who said that?" one of the corporals said gently. Pause. "I SAID WHO TOLD ME TO GO AWAY?" said the Corporal, raising the decibel level. Paul was scared stiff, and froze in his bed. "Right then, you think yer smart arses do ya, eh!" said the Corporal, now venting his anger, "If I don't get an answer now ... it's twice round block!" A faint sound was heard coming from someone at the far end of the dorm. "Sorry, sir. It was me." said Grison, quietly shivering. "Do you want ME to go away during battle and leave you lot there so you don't know where to go and what to do? You'll be like bloody tourists in foreign country you lot! Right Grison, outside, three times round the block." said 'Big Roger'. Cheers rung around the youngster's
Why a Stalemate developed on the Western Front.
Why a Stalemate developed on the Western Front When the war started Germany's Schlieffen Plan went into affect, 7/8 of German Army started the assault on France. The army was going to encircle Paris in an arcing sweep. The armies invaded neutral Belgium on the 4th of August, and though the Belgium's put up a heroic defence they were unable to stop the rolling wheel of Germanys army. Though the Belgium defence was of little military importance it gained respect thus forth drawing the British into the war. This was the first problem that was going to lead to stalemate on the western front. The British Expeditionary Force landed in France and confronted the Germans on the 23rd of August at Mons. They fought well and the Germans believed they were up against machine gun fire. Taking this into account though the British did not have enough men to stop the Germans, but they killed many soldiers at that battle and were able to form an orderly retreat. They couldn't stop the wheel but the Germans lost momentum and were beginning to run out of fuel. The plan looked like succeeding until the one thing Schlieffen had relied on not happening, happened. Russia had mobilized quickly. The German Supreme Commander Moltke had to move 100,000 men out of the west to defend in the east. The fuel for the wheel had faltered. Logistics for the army could not keep up and left men underfed and
Admiral Lord Nelson
Who was Lord Nelson? Every year on October 21, England commemorates Trafalgar Day. One cannot use the term "celebrates," for although this holiday does commemorate one of the greatest victories at sea, it also memorializes the death of England's most beloved admiral. In the years that have passed since the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 his reputation has not been surpassed, but rather has grown as the admirals of other navies have looked to his life for inspiration and tactical instruction. Although many admirals have been compared to him, none has ever been set above him. Even Raymond Ames Spruance, who won an overwhelming victory over a superior Japanese force at Midway and went on to win many other great battles of World War II in the Pacific, can never take better than second place to this extraordinary man. Horatio Nelson was born on September 29, 1758, to Catherine (Suckling) Nelson, the wife of Edmund Nelson, rector of Burnham Thorpe, in the county of Norfolk. He was a sickly child from the start and grew up small and slender. His mother died on Boxing Day in 1767, when young Horatio was only nine years old.When the Falklands Crisis of 1770 arose, young Horatio saw this as an opportunity to contribute his effort to the problem and asked his older brother William to write a letter to their father asking him to have their uncle Maurice Suckling take him to sea. Captain
How far was The Battle of the Somme a
Historical Investigation Name: Ponmuhil Ravichandran Thesis: How far was The Battle of the Somme a "victory" for the British? Word Count: 1481 words A Plan of the investigation How far was The Battle of the Somme a "victory" for the British? This investigation seeks to evaluate the level of success for the British in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and analyse whether this battle was really a "victory" for the British or not. The main body of this investigation outlines what happened to the British army in The Battle of the Somme in 1916, with references to many sources. The battle is then analysed to see to extent was it a victory for the British and to what extent it wasn't, with importance on the country and the army. Two of the sources used in this essay, The Western Front and The First Day of the Somme, are then evaluated in detail in terms of their origins, purpose, value and limitations. For evaluating "victory", many aspects are considered. These include a comparison between the objectives of Britain before the battle and the results itself, the number of casualties on both sides, etc. B Summary of evidence In 1916, the British planned to attack the Germans near the Somme River. Their main aim of this attack was to relieve the French pressure at the battle of Verdun, which was going on from the early part of the year. 'Their plan was breathtakingly simple.
Using the two poems, The Charge of the Light Brigade and the Destruction of Sennacherib, compare and contrast the attitudes to war expressed in the poems.
GCSE English Course Work Poem comparison Using the two poems, The Charge of the Light Brigade and the Destruction of Sennacherib, compare and contrast the attitudes to war expressed in the poems. Analysis should be closely related to the text and historical and social background must be included. The comparative element is important for the higher grades. 2,368 words Due 24th October The Charge of the Light Brigade poem tells the story of the 1854 deadly charge of six hundred heroic cavalry soldiers charging to their deaths by a false order in the Crimean war. Russia's ambition to control more countries started as the Turkish Empire collapsed which threatened the British and the French. In September of 1854 the Allies landed in Crimea of southern Russia. Shortly after the Russians attacked the British base at Balaclava and the British weaponry was stolen Lord Cardigan made the order for the Light Brigade to advance, "The Brigade will advance" at ten minutes past eleven on the 25th October. Captain Nolen made the command to retake their guns from the Russians through the valley. He told Lord Luken to give the order to Lord Cardigan, "You go to the end of the valley, to the guns and take them out!" The message was sent but misunderstood to Lord Cardigan as he ordered the Light Brigade to go straight through the middle of the valley and charge into the guns surrounding
