One of the many themes presented in the novel "After the War" is that sometimes, even living is an act of courage. This theme is shown multiple times throughout the book. One example of this theme is when Sarah lived in a dark and malodorous sewer for a year and a half. Another example is Jonathan 's story, when he explained how he took care of his brother, and found Zvi. And how Ruth continued fighting on during her flashbacks, and near the end of the book, when she was feeling suicidal.
In “The Song of the Mud,” Borden describes the major role mud plays in war and reveals the huge impact it has as it covers the soldier, corpses, clogs the machinery, and restricts the soldiers from their value.“of vile, incurable sores and innocent tongues,” "a devil's sick of sin,” the blood coming from “bitter as the cud,” and “obscene as cancer” are all examples of imagery that help readers perceive the agony of war and fully express the repugnancy to war. Moreover, Mary specifically uses evocative words such as “invincible,” “inexhaustible,” “intrusive” and “impertinent” to illustrate the dreadful state of the fighters due to the mud and to generate a powerful tone. Similarly, Owen used words such as “guttering” and “froth-corrupted” to create that same tone as he described the gas attack he experienced and the resentment he has of war in this last stanza. On top of that, both poems contain irony to signify the opposite of what is said, set an ironic tone and to bring forth the authors’ aversion to war indirectly. For example,“The Song of the Mud” contains the line “covers the hills like satin” which is pleasing and makes you feel at ease which contradicts the fact that war is destructive and horrifying. Also, the word “song” in the title gives readers a feeling of enjoyment when in fact, the poem emits gloom. Owen’s main purpose of writing his poem was to expose “the old lie” which is “Dulce Et Decorum est.” This lie says that it is sweet and honorable to die for one’s country; the truth is that it is a waste of human life. Owen had first-hand experience of the tragedies of World War I and wanted to destroy the misinterpretation of it by portraying the reality of war. Yet this reality was long kept from the knowledge of the civilians at home, who continued to write about the noble pursuit of
Often, poetry is used to portray the highlights of this life or maybe even some of the small bumps we encounter along the way, yet, none really compares to that of war poetry. World War I, much like any other war, was nothing shy of a horror story. Innumerable deaths, traumatizing situations, and the lives of returning soldiers changed forever were, and still are, products of war. From our side, we have our own idea of what war might be like, but Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenburg choose to give us a small glimpse of what “serving our country” is about. Both men chose to write about the harsh realities of war and while these poets have several differences, they share very common ground: educating many about reality of war. Having both been affected
Humanity is respecting a person’s right to live and sharing empathy between one another. It also includes preserving as well as appreciating the gift of nature. Hence, the poem “What Were They Like?” composed by Denise Levertov suggests that humanity is necessary and are important in times of war. This is because the main focus of the poem was to persuade the readers that war is destructive, especially when lives were simply destroyed for political gains during the time. This essay will highlight how the poet used various metaphors and other literary devices to convey her anti-war message effectively.
Firstly within the poems, both Owen and Harrison present the horrific images of war through use of visual imagery.“And leaped of purple spurted his thigh” is stated. Owen describes the immediate action of presenting the truth of war as horrific and terrifying . The phrase “purple spurted” represents the odd color of the blood which was shedded as the boulder from the bomb smashed his leg in a matter of seconds. The readers
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so few to so many”- Winston Churchill. World War II is known to be the bloodiest war documented in history; it was the largest and most violent conflict America soldiers have been a part of. Although many people lost their lives, World War II to is referred to as “The Good War”, because forces of good triumphed over evil and the entire world was changed for the better. Throughout its six year span, World War II ended Hitler’s third Reich, Mussolini’s dictatorship, and an aggressive Japanese empire. Without the help of all the brave men and women like, Samuel Johnston Hughes, who fought in World War II American would not have been able to participate in making the world a more tranquil and peaceful place to live.
Everyone knows that war has been a necessary evil since mankind has set foot on the Earth, but most people don’t understand the full scope of how horrible war can be. Wilfred Owen is a poet that experienced the horrors of war firsthand, so Owen’s personal experience allowed him to create two poems that reveal what war was like. These poems may have a similar subject, but the poems accomplish their tasks in very different ways. “The Parable of the Old Man and the Young” is an allusion to Genesis 22:1-19, but with a twist to reveal the truth about war. In “Arms and the Boy” Owens uses a more direct path to tell the reader the truth of war, which is through imagery and personification. The different literary devices used in the two poems creates a different experience for the reader, even though the end message is very similar.
Wilfred Owen was an English poet who experienced war and his own death during his service on the Western Front. Contrary to many pro-war poets, he wrote on the horrors of World War I. His poems always speak of the brutality of war which is described in a shocking way through the implementation of techniques such as imagery, alliteration, metaphors, similes that provoke a great impact on the reader. Owen wrote about the horrors of war because he wanted to show people the truth about war, he wanted to share a realistic idea of what it was like to fight in war and how society’s perception of war was being faultily constructed by propaganda. In order to support this view, I will analyse the poems Anthem for doomed youth and Dulce Et Decorum Est.
The Civil War was an incredibly crucial but violent piece of America’s history. Taking place in 1861, the war was fought between the Northern and Southern states—Union and Confederacy (Civil War 2017). The primary issue being waged over was the need for slavery since it grossly mistreated and abused African Americans. Finally, after four long years—full of catastrophic casualties on both sides—the war ceased, and slaves were freed. Interestingly enough, the war’s impact spread beyond just slavery but affected the tone of American literature. War is Kind, by Stephen Crane, is just one of many examples of literature that became less about imaginative ideas, but rather focused on life—and the horrors that come with it.
It’s a nice and warm day. I can’t wait to go and see the neighbors and play with them around the town. There was this amazing place that I saw on my way home yesterday, that I’ve thought about taking my friends there today. Since there’s no school, I would love to take my friends there today. I think that they will enjoy it as much as I did when I saw it yesterday. There has never been a day like today where I’m so excited to go all around town and do whatever I want today. No homework, no nothing. I also can’t wait to go and celebrate my sister’s birthday that’s in a couple days. Now all I can do for right now is just imagine how amazing it would be if I could take my friends to that amazing place that I saw yesterday. Different in this child’s life, many children in many countries aren’t able
Most people believes war can be a implement. But don't realize war can affect a soldier or a person mentally and physically. Most protesters protest against war by using imagery, irony, and structure.
The poem features a soldier, presumably Owen, speaking to fellow soldiers and the public regarding those atrocities. Correspondingly, drawing on the themes of innocent death and the barbaric practices of warfare, Owen expresses his remorse towards his fallen comrades and an antagonistic attitude towards the war effort through a solemn tone and specific stylistic devices. The poem is structured as free verse, contributing towards the disorganized and chaotic impression Owen experienced while witnessing these deaths firsthand, enabling the audience to understand the emotional circumstances of demise in the trenches as well. Throughout the poem, Owen routinely personifies the destructive weapons of war, characterizing them as the true instruments of death rather than the soldiers who stand behind them. Owen describes how, “Bullets chirped…Machine-guns chuckled…Gas hissed…” (Owen 3,4,15). Personifying the weapons demonstrates how pure soldiers have their innocence stolen from them through forced and blind usage of such deadly instruments. Accordingly, it is the weapons who truly receive the last laugh in the war as they kill both physically and spiritually, while soldiers are forever wounded in ways that can and cannot be seen.
Wilfred Owen who was born in 1893 is still named as one of the leading British poets of war poetry about World War I in the English literature. Throughout his poetries, he vividly captures the reality of war and chaos inside of the soldiers. Before the war, Owen was a language tutor in France, but he served in an army because he felt pressured by the government’s propaganda. Nevertheless, when he actually got into the army, he disillusioned and realized both pity and horror of war. From his dreadful experience, the anti-war feeling strongly created in his mind. Therefore, there is a link of idea about ‘anti-war feeling’ throughout his poems. Wilfred Owen expresses his anti-war feeling through the literary techniques; simile, personification, metaphor, and ailteration.
The grand and vast advancement did not lead to peace but instead unto a devastating war that caused a vast loss of human life with no apparent gain (“World War I in Literature,” n.d.). World War I showed massive brutality and violence. Witnessing these outrageous events unfold led to a flood of literature regarding the effects of the war on not only the poets of war but also mankind (“World War I in Literature,” n.d.). The writings during World War I are commonly understood to consist of poetries, books and drama. Many journals, letters, and written accounts of life during this period are frequently included in this category. The writings most often taught today in our universities and schools are lyrics by Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. The poetry recited, documented and discussed widely are most notably from Isaac Rosenberg, Ivor Gurney, Charles Sorley. Edward Thomas, and David Jones (“World War I in Literature,” n.d.). During World War I a lot of authors, journalists and critics turned to writing to document the extreme demand on the young men fighting in the war. Many British women also produced literature regarding the war. Frequently women wrote testaments of the influence and distress the war had on not only the soldiers, but also on the home and on their land (“World War I in Literature,” n.d.).
2. Compare the ways in which human suffering is presented in “Disabled” and ‘‘Refugee Blues’’.