War Poetry Essays - "Out of the Blue", "Poppies" and "Futility".

Authors Avatar by just_mein (student)

Minahil 10AQ

Out of the Blue

        I feel that the main emotions in this Out of the Blue extract are hope, fear and despair. There are multiple main emotions in this poem because as the poem goes on, the emotions of the narrator vary. He starts out with hope that he'll be rescued, goes on to fear the ferocity of the fire and in the end, falls into the despair that he will not survive.

        The first emotion used in the extract is hope. This is shown in the repetition of the word "waving". This word is repeated four times in the same stanza. The repetition shows and emphasises how desperate the narrator is to be noticed. There is little to no chance that anyone will see him but the narrator clings to the hope that he will be rescued by waving at the people below.

        His hope is also shown in that he speaks directly to the reader hoping to get a reply, from anyone. Additionally, his wording also shows his hope such as when he asks, "So when will you come?" Instead of asking whether or not someone will come rescue him, he asks when will they come to rescue him. This shows that he has hope that someone will definitely come to rescue him. Furthermore, Alternatively, by not confirming whether or not anyone is coming and just assuming that he will definitely be rescued could be a way to convince himself that he won't be left to die and he could be covering up his fear that perhaps no-one is coming to rescue him.

        The narrator also tries to sustain his hope throughout through direct appeal as shown in "I am not at the point of leaving". This shows that he is determined to stay alive; determined not to let his hope die. Also, stating this to the reader could be that he's pointing out that he's not ready to die; he still has a chance of being rescued. Another example of the narrator's determined hope is shown in "the white of surrender is not yet flying". This shows that despite the futility of his actions, the narrator continues to believe that he will be rescued; he is not yet ready to give up his life. As the poem goes on, the narrator points out "I am still breathing". This shows that his hope has paid off - he has managed to survive this far, so why should he stop any sooner? He could also be speaking to the other victims trapped in the building, saying that if he has managed to survive for this long; then what's stopping them from reaching the same point, if not for longer than him?

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Poppies

        Jane Weir's "Poppies" is an ambiguous poem centring around the emotions of sorrow and loss  different kinds of sorrow and loss are presented throughout the poem.

        The first form of sorrow is the universal feeling all mothers experience when they realise that their child has grown up and can handle themselves. This form of sorrow is represented through the use of imagery such as in "gelled blackthorns of your hair" — this metaphor shows the mother that her son is no longer the soft, small child he used to be. He is grown up; he has toughened up ...

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