Accessed 23 April 2018. Mays, Kelly J. “Chapter 1 Understanding the Text.” The Norton Introduction to Literature 12th Edition, edited by Spencer Richardson-Jones, W.W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp 92 & 1421. McGuire, Thomas G. and Bryan Doerries. "Bryan Doerries Discusses the Theater of War & the Palliative of Shared Suffering."
The Voices of War Student Joshua Hosking has a knack for the study of war and poetry and has in the past had a one on one interview with a veteran from the Vietnam War (1954 - 1975). War: it’s a bloody, brutal and cruel experience for all sides. One minute you’re peering out of your trench; then the next, you have a bullet torn through your skull.
War carries important morals that heighten the perspective of men and women on their nation, but it also entails many acts and experiences that leave lasting effects on their emotional and physical state. Throughout the following texts, Paul Baumer, the dead soldiers, and Kiowa’s comrades all sustain losses that compel them to persevere and fight harder. All Quiet on the Western Front, Poetry of the Lost Generation, and an excerpt from In the Field all connect to the recurring theme, horrors of war, that soldiers face everyday on the front line through the continuous battle. War involves gruesome battles, many of which lead to death, but these events forever affect the soldier’s mind and body. In All Quiet on the Western Front, men experience horrific sights, or horrors of war, through the depiction of the terrain, death, and the
Modern war poetry is immensely valuable because of its ability to capture experiences that make an insightful and powerful connection with an audience. The bigger picture of war poetry is being able to share moments, feelings, and perspectives that connect with others. Wilfred Owen intimately conveys the horrific moments lived through young soldiers with his poem ‘Futility’ (1918) and shows how pointless and futile the war is, as he questions the creation of life if it can be so easily destroyed. The Australian folk group Redgum wrote the song ‘I Was Only Nineteen’ (1983) that focuses on the experiences of young soldiers in the conflicts of the Vietnam War, revealing the lasting impacts it had on them for the rest of their lives. These pieces offer the audiences raw and intense emotions of frustration, despair, and endless questioning about the
Basically everything in a war could look beautiful in humans eyes, but every soldier hates war at the same time. The truth reached by the reader from this contrast is that why some might like going to war and what makes soldiers to keep going in
In Across Five Aprils, there are many views on war talked about. People think of war in different ways, even family members think differently than each other. Since this book is Historical Fiction, the views in this book express the ways the author feels, especially on war. In this essay I will explain the author’s emotions and opinions on this topic.
These themes are exemplified by the experiences of the narrator in “Ten Kliks South” and Tina Beller in her e-mail to her parents. The major takeaway from these two pieces is that soldiers undergo tough situations that are unknown to the average human being. Just like everyday humans face the trials and tribulations of life, soldiers too come face to face with situations that can leave an emotional scar. Therefore, it is important for us to show appreciation for soldiers, for all that they do, and for all that they will continue to do for
We live in a world where we have to hide to make love, while violence is practiced in broad daylight. John Lennon. Based on his own reading and reflection, Bruce Dawe constructs his attitudes towards war in his poems, Homecoming and Weapons Training, believing it to be lacking sense historically and ultimately futile. By specifically addressing an Australian cultural context, the poet exposes a universal appeal in that the insensitivity and anonymity are common attitudes towards soldiers during war. Dawe clearly expresses his ‘anti-war sentiment’ through his use of language and imagery as he examines the dehumanising aspects of war and its brutal reality.
In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the author skillfully presents a paradox about war and how it is both horrible and beautiful. Through O’Brien’s vivid storytelling and sorrowful anecdotes, he is able to demonstrate various instances which show both the horrible and beautiful nature of war. Within the vulnerability of the soldiers and the resilience found in the darkest of circumstances, O’brien is able to show the uproarious emotional landscape of war with a paradox that serves as the backbone of the narrative. In the first instance, O’Brien explores the beauty in horror within the chapter “Love.”
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” This quote by renowned Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana immaculately encapsulates the core message that is conveyed in both the poems “Grass” and “At the Un-National Monument along the Canadian Border.” The two poems employ disparate writing styles and divergent methods to describe the atrocities of war and violence, however both poems do ultimately condemn these inexcusable acts. Furthermore, beyond denouncing war, both poems greatly emphasize a part of war that is often neglected; how we choose to remember wars and how we must not allow ourselves to forget these brutal lessons of the past. Carl Sandburg and William E. Stafford both lived through numerous periods of violence, epochs where
War and its affinities have various emotional effects on different individuals, whether facing adversity within the war or when experiencing the psychological aftermath. Some people cave under the pressure when put in a situation where there is minimal hope or optimism. Two characters that experience
Whitman is known for his grim and realistic poems depicting war as a result of his time as a volunteer nurse in the American Civil War. During the war, he saw the horrible results of battle in piles of amputated limbs and field littered with bodies. It is no wonder that after his time as union nurse he would write poems that were transfixed with the tragedies of war and their victims. This obsession with death combined with his fierce nationalism blended with the beauty of nature has made Whitman remembered as one of the great romantic poets. “The Dirge for Two Veterans” is one of his greatest works and uses these themes to create a vividly clear picture of tearful funeral procession.
Siegfried Sassoon’s “Repression of War Experience” is rises above other contemporary poems of its time because it brings to light the world of the shell shock or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of World War One and shares it with the public in a way that inspires compassion but is also damning to those who would continue for their blind praise for a war that took so many lives. Sassoon’s description of being in a convalescence home brings the reality of what he was experiencing to light for those he would accuse of being so ignorant to the reality that lurked across the English Channel. Sassoon describes the house that he is convalescing in briefly. “Books; what a jolly company they are/
In the poems “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen and “The Bright Lights of Sarajevo” by Tony Harrison, both poems present the truths of war. However, both differ in terms of setting and contrast that help depicts the similarities between their theme. Disabled takes place within World War I as Owen vividly describes the subject’s amputation, but the poem is centered around the subject’s adjustment to civilian life after war. In The Bright Lights of Sarajevo although Harrison discusses the consequences of partaking in war in the town, he illustrates the way in which life goes on regardless the horrific impact. Through use of setting and contrast, both poets contribute to presenting the theme of the realities of war.
In times of war, soldiers must surpass obstacles and be ready to face challenges. Witnessing the valiant efforts of these men that throw their lives on the line instills an insurmountable sense of pride in the hearts of spectators. Both Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem and Richard Caton Woodville Jr.’s illustration entitled “The Charge of the Light Brigade” incorporate literary terms to express their feeling of pride towards the Light Brigade. Tennyson exhibits this by using repetition to signify the danger of fighting in battle, in addition to imagery to help the reader imagine how terrifying war is, while setting a respectful tone. Woodville shows a feeling of pride through the setting, symbolism, and powerful imagery.
