Tuesday 15 February 2011
Half-term Reading Discussion
To avoid the other post on 'Scars Upon My Heart' becoming too long and confusing, please leave your discussion of two poems from your half-term reading here. The learning will be greater if a variety of poems are commented upon, so please check what other peeople have written first and respond to their comments too. Remember this should be a discussion and not just separate individual posts.
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Gabrielle Elliot - Pierrot Goes To War
ReplyDeletePierrot and Pierette were characters from a type of Italian theatre called Commedia dell'Arte. They were lovers, and Pierrot was typically naive and foolish - here representing the naivety of the young soldiers. They could also represent the many lovers separated by the war. And the fact that they are comparing the soldiers to characters in a play could represent the lack of control they had over the war.
The first stanza describes the lovers parting. The lush description of the garden "drenched with swaying fragrance" depicts an idyllic, untroubled world, which these lovers lived in before the war burst their bubble.
The second stanza represents the call of war, shown through the personification of the bugles that seem to speak to Pierrot. They seem quite ominous and threatening as they issue a "flaming challenge" and tell him to "Leave [his] dreams behind" and "turn [his] back" on his lover. The repetition of the word "Bugles" both personifies them, yet also dehumanises what they represent - the generals of the war.
The third stanza contrasts dramatically to the first, describing the "black and torn" trenches, the horrors of war. It evokes sympathy for the "boyish figures" there, emphasising their youth and how ill-equipped they are to deal with war. Death is also described in a military way, "saluting" and "call[ing] upon [them] to die", much like the generals who are controlling the war.
The final stanza implies Pierrot's death, as the bugles are now "ghostly" and it describes the "dreams" that are now "over". We are left with the melancholy image of Pierette who "does not forget" him, and is left alone, representing not only bereaved lovers in the war but anyone who experienced loss.
Elizabeth Chandler Forman - The Three Lads
ReplyDeleteAll three stanzas have the same layout and rhythm, and almost the same words bar a few changes. There is constant repetition of phrases like "down the road" and "off to the war and away". This gives the effect that the German, Russian and English soldiers described are all very similar despite their different nationalities and allies. They are all fighting for their "king" or "tzar", for "God" and "truth" and "liberty", and for "love" and "blue eyes". The only difference is the countries they come from, but they all believe in the war for the same reasons and have joined for the same reasons. This is quite sad as it seems the soldiers shouldn't really be enemies as they have so much in common. The repetition and structured syllabic rhythm also give a nursery-rhyme feel, which emphasises the youth of the "lad[s]".
The first stanza describes the German soldier, riding towards the "cold, sad" North, but in spite of his gloomy surroundings, he like the others is "merry and glad". All the lads take a light outlook to the war, saying they are "off to the war and away" as if starting an adventure.
The second stanza describes the Russian soldier, and again there is ominous imagery in his surroundings, of "wolves".
The third stanza describing the English soldier finally concludes the threatening and sad imagery that all the soldiers have been facing, by saying that "he rides to his death". The contrast of the attitudes of the soldiers and their surroundings represents their naivety compared to the reality, and as they all go "into the distance grey" they are unaware of what they will face.
Helen Parry Eden- 'A Volunteer'
ReplyDeleteHelen Parry Eden’s poem ‘A Volunteer’ shows an alternative motive one which is unpatriotic as to why some men went to war. The first few lines tell the reader about a man’s dislike for war, ‘Its murky provenance, its flagrant ends;’ suggesting he realises the outcome of war is outrageous with all its deaths, but is unclear as to why Britain is fighting this war. Eden then goes on to explain who or what he is not fighting the war for, 'He had not ventured for a nation's spoils.' implying he did not sign up to fight for his country, creating an unpatriotic image of a man who realises, 'His soul, unpledged for his own dividends’ that war does not reap any rewards for him. Eden then asks a rhetorical question which by now is on the reader’s mind, ‘Why had he sought the struggle and its pain?’ The response of which is, ‘Lest little girls with linked hands in the lane
Should look ‘You did not shield us?’ as they wended
Across his window when the war was ended.’ Implying he went to war to avoid the guilt he would feel for not protecting others, and by using little girls, who are innocent and vulnerable makes the guilt feel greater. The rhyming couplets which create a slow, downbeat pace emphasise the struggle men faced and the cruel pressure they were under in to going into war, as the thought of not protecting women and children would be used against them.
The title ‘A Volunteer’ would suggest that this man has gone to war to help others, not thinking of the consequences it may have on himself, creating a heroic image. However the poem contradicts this idea, although the man did go to war, he went because he could face war more than the guilt he would face at home, showing the harshness men were facing on the homefront to go to war.
Helen Hamilton- ‘The Jingo-woman’
ReplyDeleteIn this poem, Hamilton talks about her dislike of a woman who feels like it is her duty to punish the men who do not go to war, and asks her how she can do this with no experience of war. The poem is in two long stanzas, but has no rhyming scheme, however there is a fast pace created by Hamilton’s uses of pauses and short lines which makes the poem seem as though Hamilton is venting out all her anger towards this woman.
At the beginning of the 1st stanza she describes why she hates the Jingo- woman so much, ‘Dealer in white feathers,’ the use of the word ‘dealer’ makes it seem as though what this woman is doing, giving white feathers to men who did not go to war as a sign of cowardice, illegal and extremely wrong. Hamilton carries on to question her over her belief that she has the right to judge these men,’ The judgement of your eye, that wild, infuriate eye,’ suggesting the Jingo-woman is a bit crazy, making her view on the men seem wrong as her judgement cannot be trusted. Hamilton goes on to explain why her dislike of the Jingo-woman is so strong, ‘You make all women seem such duffers!’ implying the Jingo-woman is seen as an unintelligent person, again criticising why her opinions are wrong, but also that this view of her is being applied to all women. Perhaps suggesting that the idea that women on the homefront were glad of the freedom war brought and supported propaganda was also a stereotype of women.
The end part of the 1st stanza Hamilton talks about the men who this woman is judging, ‘You must know surely … physically not fit to serve,’ the emphasis put on ‘must’ again makes the woman seem unintelligent as it sounds as though everyone knows why some people cannot serve and because it a physical issue and not only their beliefs the Jingo-woman comes across as brutal, as these men cannot help that they cannot serve. Hamilton then goes on to praise these men for the self- control, ‘Heavens! I wonder you’re alive!’ suggesting if it was Hamilton who the Jingo-woman was insulting she would have already hurt her.
The last stanza Hamilton uses to question how she does this without having experience of war, ‘So far they are not taking us’ yet suggests that if the war goes on for longer and women have to sign up because of the lack of men, then the Jingo-woman will be first to sign up, ‘You’ll join up first, of course,’ Hamilton uses sarcasm here because who know the Jingo-woman probably won’t act on her principles and go off to war, making her fight seem even less important and more brutal. Hamilton uses the poem to criticise and explain why the Jingo-woman’s views are all wrong.
The Ghouls-Helen Hamilton (pg47)
ReplyDeleteHamilton writes about 'strange old ghouls'who together 'gloat' over the lists of the young soldiers who have died. The lists of the dead would normally be read in newspapers by relatives or friends, but in this scenario it is read by ghouls who desperately search for anyone 'however distant' that may be 'appended'. The ghouls -Arabian folklore monsters/demons in the poem represent the inhumane nature of the war. Ghouls were believed to steal,rob graves,consume human flesh and drink blood. Hamilton uses imagery to describe the ghouls and to emphasize the loss-'dulled old eyes'. This shows the ghouls have seen so many deaths that now their eyes are 'dulled'. Hamilton also uses the word 'young' quite a lot throughout the poem which brings in the theme on naivety. Hamilton also mentions 'Fresh life' and 'New value', which shows the ghouls gain and the soldiers loss. Hamilton shows that bad characters like ghouls are the ones who 'gloat' over the war and people who have died as it makes them feel better their 'New value' is 'ebbing'. This can symbolize the evil behind the war and the causes of it.
An Incident-Mary H.J. Henderson
ReplyDeleteHenderson delves deeply into the role of the nurse in war. She describes the nurse as having strong emotions for the 'boy' because of her 'hot tears'that blurred her sight. Henderson describes herself as a mother figure -'not just to the mother who calls him 'mine', showing how nurses had a larger role than to just care for the soldiers;they actually became their mothers as well. We see the soldier's dependence on the nurse 'he could not hold the spoon or cup', so she 'fed him'. This is similar to when mothers actually do take care of their sick children, in this case the nurse is the closest thing to having their actual mother there themselves. The soldier is described as being 'just a boy'emphasizing the youth and naivety of the soldier and the motherly qualities of the nurse.
Henderson also likens herself to 'Mary,Mother of God'. Both have gone through loss and pain and both have high responsibility levels. The theme of Religion/God comes into this as she describes Christ's sacrifice to save those alive is just like the sacrifice the soldiers have given as well.
A War Film – Teresa Hooley
ReplyDeleteThis poem describes a woman watching a film about world war one. She refers to the great retreat (mons retreat) which was the name of the fighting retreat by the allied forces from the western front. This took place in August-September 1913, at the start of the war although it seems that she is more scared that another war will break out in the future which might involve her child, instead of worrying about the current war. She talks about the feelings that women on the home front have about seeing their children and loved ones leaving to take part in the war which highlights that everyone was affected as a result of war, and not just the soldiers in battle.
She talks about her ‘little son’ and portrays him to be delicate and fragile as she recounts how she ‘bathed him’. However she then highlights the horrors of war by describing how her son would be ‘tortured’ and ‘torn’ if he was made to go to war. She uses the line ‘all those men had mothers’ to show the huge amount of people who were in the same situation as her. It shows the war to be destructive and horrific as it is destroying so many lives. She personifies the machine guns and shells as she says they ‘rattle’ and ‘scream’ which almost makes them seem more shocking and destructive. She describes how the film made her ‘catch her breath’ which shows her shock at the film. This could represent the way women on the home front were unaware of the situation that was actually occurring in the war and instead, were part of the home front propaganda which was happening.
The Seed Merchant’s Son – Agnes Grozier Herbertson
ReplyDeleteThis poem talks about the effect that the war had on family and society by using the example of a father loosing his son. There is a simple structure with rhyming couplets which makes the reader fully appreciate the sense of loss. The structure makes it initially seem less horrific as an upbeat rhythm is produced by the rhyming couplets. This therefore makes the message of the poem more shocking and horrific.
The first section talks about the life the young boy had before he went to war. Agnes continuously refers to him as a ‘child’ showing his innocence and portraying him to be too fragile to be a part of war. ‘His school books scarcely had time to gather dust’ also shows that he is barely out of school yet he has been made to take part in the conflict. The last two sentences of this section come as a suprise to the reader as they do not expect him to die. They show how his death came as a shock to all of them and the nonchalant manner that it is put shows that he was ‘just another soldier’ and it wasn’t an unfamiliar occurrence during the war.
The second section shows the Seed Merchant getting on with his life after his son’s death, but the line ‘so still he was that the birds flew round’ shows that he couldn’t continue his day to day life anymore, representing how families were affected during war.
The final section suggests the he has finally realised that his son is not completely dead. He could be relating his son to a seed; with the idea that all nature is renewed so he could be thinking his son’s life or ‘soul’ will also be renewed. He could have accepted that it was fate/his time to die. The line ‘never before seen or sod’ shows that he is seeing his sons death in a new light as a result of this.
Both this poem and ‘A War Film’ link to ‘joining the colours’ by Katharine Tynan as they both talk about a mothers loss for their sons. They all show the sons to be innocent ‘smooth cheeked’ and ‘golden’ before entering the horrific battlefield.
Posted on behalf of Lauren:
ReplyDeleteOn page 55 "Nothing to report" is shown, a poem written by May Herschel-Clarke. May Herschel-Clarke (1850-1950) was an English poet and is mainly known today for her anti-war poems, such as "Nothing to Report". What i first noticed about this poem was that it was very short in structure, which made it different from the majority of the poems in Scars upon my heart, as it is only 3 lines long, with 1 stanza. Although it is very short its point and reason is as definate as longer poems, as it gets its point across quickly. The short and brief poem could also represent the way deaths were briefly revealed, with no detail or respect or showing that there were so many deaths that one against so many may not seem worth reporting. Likewise people and reporters may want the newspapers to focus on more positive aspects of war such as victory, as a way of propaganda.
I believe this poem to show a very honest take on war, as the poet does not mince the words nor try to make war seem sweet and glorious, very similar to wilfred owens anti war poetry however Clarke's poem lacks the same gory and brutal detail. This may be because unlike wilfred owen she has not experienced war in the trenches herself and so her poems comment more on anti war responses from the home front.
The colloquial language in this poem seems to be spoken in non standard english with an accent, making the tone of the poem seem surprisingly casual considering they are talking about death, especially someone so personal, who has even been named. The use of rhyme also adds a light hearted feeling. This casual tone could present the casual attitude towards death on the homefront.
The title "Nothing to report" suggests the bitterness towards how the soldiers deaths were grieved and honoured thus showing some of the themes of the poem such as: bitterness, anger, death, feelings towards death and grief.
The first line begins showing life and happiness then a quick change in the second line shows death. The word "grinnin'" seems ironic as no emotion can be shown during death. Likewise this poem shows the contrast between being alive and laughing with death.
Posted on behalf of Lauren:
ReplyDeleteA poem i think is similar to "nothing to report" in both meaning and structure is "the fallen" by Diana Gurney. This too has a short structure of only 9 lines, with only 1 stanza and also focus' on death and how we respond to grief and how death is presented and portrayed, in different manners.
This poem is in the third person, involving the reader with words such as "we." Making it seem more personal to us, especially the readers who may have lost someone close to them in the war.
Unlike "nothing to report" this is written in standard english, using a range of punctuation. The use of a question mark presents the rhetorical question as the post asks "Shall we not lay our holly wreath Here at the foot of this high cross".
This poem uses the semantic field of Christmas, using words such as "holly" and "silent christmas". Christmas seems a strange contrast to war as it is generally a celebrative and happy holdiay so is strange that it should be mixed with war, full of death and sorrow. Although the christmas truce was a significant part of World War 1 and did present a kind human act of forgiveness and regret.
The line "to them at last where they are sleeping" the word "them" categorises the soldiers as one group, making each one of them seem impersonal and insignificant. The phrase "at last" however suggests they have been fighting and suffering for too long, unlike "nothing to report" where death seems quick and painless with his face "grinnin'."
At the end of the poem the poet states that the loss and sorrow is ours not theres. I believe this to be a slightly strong and unessecary phrase as although those on the homefront feel the emotional pain and sorrow and loss of their men, the soldiers also feel the same pain physically and mentally as weapons wound them and they watch their friends die.
I see this poem as having a very confused and truthful tone about it as the poem expresses the womens concerns about the dead and how the dead are grieved and honoured, similar to "nothing to report" where Herschel-Clarke presents how death is portrayed and recognised.
The Fallen by Diana Gurney (page 45)
ReplyDeleteThis poem seems to very much explore the fear of the unknown of the afterlife. The voice of the poem wanders whether her lost loved one can actually hear or see what's happening and if he can actually recognise her grief, for example, 'we don't know, perhaps a breath of our remembering may come.' The only thing this woman is sure of is her own personal feelings and grief - she can only wonder if her lost one pines for her as she does for them. She questions the afterlife.
In the last line of the only stanza she says, 'Ours the sorrow, ours the loss.' If you put emphasis on the 'our' there seems a possibility that she may want recognition for the grievers on the home front as well as the men who went away to fight. The men suffered greatly whilst fighting but in their death that suffering then gets passed onto the family they left behind. Their suffering gets inherited by their loved ones.
In the eighth line there is a mention of 'Christmas' which is generally considered as a time for family and loved ones to be together. This should really appeal to readers hearts as spending Christmas alone would be horrible and anyone can surely empathise with that?
Screens (In a Hospital) - Winifred M Letts
ReplyDeleteWinifred worked as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in 1915 at Manchester Base Hospital.
Later she joined the Almeric Paget Military Massage Corps working at Command Depot Camps in Manchester and Alnwick.
The poem 'Screens' is told from the viewpoint of someone within the hospital and is has a general sense of loss throughout it, of all the people who were bought to hospitals but died while there. 'Those screens- the showed that he would die.' shows that the voice of the poem was clearly someone who had been in the hospital long enough to know that the screens represented his death.
The second stanza is interesting as it seems to be about having respect for this dying soldier, as it says 'we might not play the gramophone’ yet the last line contradicts this message by saying 'And left him dying there alone'.
The second stanza and the line 'Another man will get his bed' in the last stanza gives the impression that the death is insignificant and almost as if it happens so often that none of the deaths are noticed anymore. This is similar to ‘The falling leaves’ by Margaret Postgate Cole
The line 'But now he's done for at nineteen' presents the theme of a lost generation/youth that was common in many of the poems throughout the anthology.
The line in the last stanza 'We'll make the row we did before' reminds me of graves and could be linked to 'Flanders Fields' by Elizabeth Dayrush
The rhyming in the poem is alternate and gives rhythm to the poem which reiterates the message that each death goes by slightly unnoticed and that life in the hospital continues in the same way.
The deserter – Winifred M Letts
ReplyDeleteThe theme of this poem is death and fear of death
The irony and tragedy of the poem is that the soldier was afraid of being killed by the other side and was taken over by this fear, but by deserting, he was killed by his own side in the end
‘Fear’ is personified in the first stanza and by saying ‘dodged’ gives the impression that death is impossible to get away from and cannot be avoided.
‘child’ gives the connotations that the man was innocent and fragile, and still needed protecting. Also possibly that he is completely frozen with fear as it is often difficult to reason with any frightened child.
There is an alternate rhyme scheme which adds pace to the poem which is important as it seems to help the poem reach a climax when the deserter is shot.
The repetition of ‘An English bullet in his heart’ reinforces the tragedy of those who were killed by their own side for desertion and that once they had died, they pretended that the soldier had been a ‘hero’ this is explained by saying ‘His mother thinks he fought and fell A hero’
What reward? by Winifred M. Letts (page 63)
ReplyDeleteIn this poem Letts speaks of the treatment of those who have been physically damaged opposed to those who suffer mentally. Some may argue whether it necessary to pit one horror up against another, whos to decide which fate is worse? In this poem Letts argues that being mental after war is th worst outcome to be left with. She speaks of the 'rewards' or benefits every other outcome reaps. For example; men who 'gave [their] life' found 'rest' and men who 'gave a limb' found glory. But then she questions, 'What of the poor babbler here?' and 'But he who gave his precious wits, say, what reward for him?'
Winifred M. Letts served at a hospital for a while during the war where she probably witnessed a lot of men pushed over the brink of madness. This could have been a possible inspiration for her poem.
Every second and fourth line in each stanza rhymes, for example; 'limb' and 'him' and 'rest' and 'breast.' It gives the poem a subtle underlying rhyme and makes it almost repetitive. The mood of the poem is almost with a hint of anger and disbelief at the unfairness of what these men have to go through because of war. She seems to have very strong feelings on this subject. She's very persuasive in how she presents the poem. She keeps her attention on the same subject throughout and uses examples and strong descriptive language. I think she may have written this poem to draw attention to this subject.
Posted on behalf of Vicky:
ReplyDeleteWinifred M. Letts - What Reward? (Page 63)
Winifred Mary Letts (1882 - 1972) was an English writer, with strong Irish connections, known for her novels, plays and poetry. She trained as a masseuse and during World War I worked at army camps in Manchester. In 1916 she was working as a nurse.
This poem is made up of 3 stanzas all of which almost identical with an ABCB rhyme. The similar structure of each stanza shows a repetition of what questions arise during war and why they are asked. Each stanza ends in a rhetorical question, with stanza 1 and 3 having the same question. The use of the repetition shows that the speaker in the poem wants an answer and wants the reader to think of the answer too.
The name of the poem is also a rhetorical question, to me this question comes across as why should someone get a reward for being in the army. However, it could simply just be asking the question what reward will the soldiers get from being in the war and giving up their lives.
The first stanza shows no sympathy for the 'boy' who has clearly decided to be involved in war life. The use of saying 'you' talking to the boy himself and putting the word in italics suggests that she is blaming the boy for choosing to be involved in war. It suggests a sense of anger towards him. The use of saying 'boy' suggests that she thinks he is ignorant and stupid and naive for going into war as the boy who the speaker is referring to could be a man but still very young. The last two line of the first stanza shows a change of attitude towards the more sensible person she believes has done right and given his 'precious wits' thinking that he deserves a reward for having wits about him.
The second stanza shows that difference between a solider who is still alive and one that is dead. Euphemism of death is used by using the word 'rest' She says that the one who has his glory has survived the war and the other is now dead. The 3rd and 4th lines of the stanza is again a rhetorical question asking what this 'babbler' (relating to a baby that would babble as they cannot talk) will do. Here she is asking what this child will become and what will happen to him. She uses the word 'poor' to show her sympathy toward this young innocent child compared to her unsympathetic tone she had to the 'boy' at the beginning of the poem.
Flotsam is the cargo or wreckage that remains floating after a ship has sunk.
The last stanza begins talking about what is left of the battle and the wreckage that has been left behind by such destruction of 'brain bemused' people and 'dim[ness]'. This emphasizes the destruction and horror of what war has caused and left behind it. The use of alliteration shows the loss and what has happened to people however using the 'b' gives a softer tone to what the subject matter is of destruction. The last two lines of the last stanza mentions God, frequently people during the war would turn to God as a comfort to help them through. The poet writes 'for such a sacrifice' they do not get any kind of reward that will do for what the soldiers have had to go through. This last stanza shows the feelings that the poet feels guilt and pain for the soldiers as they do not get what they deserve for sacrificing so much for their country and having to deal with such harsh consequences
Posted on behalf of Vicky:
ReplyDeleteAnna Gordon Keown - Reported Missing (Page 58)
Anna Gordon Keown (1899–1957) was an English author and poet. Wrote this poem during world war one, it is written as a sonnet.
This poem shows how many people within the war would not come to terms with the fact that a loved on has died. In this poem it clearly shows the pain of loss of someone very close to the speaker, it is ambiguous to know whether it is the soldiers mother or lover that is speaking in this poem. It portrays the denial that every person who had loved one fighting in the war of them being hurt or even dead in this case. This poem presents the truths and horrors of what war has done to many people dear to the soldiers fighting.
The use of writing the poem in a sonnet form emphasizes the love that the speaker in the poem (presumably the wife/girlfriend of the solider in war) has for her loved one she has lost.
The first line of the poem begins with a very matter of fact statement about what she feels and thinks about the loss of her loved one. The use of the word 'lately' suggests that he was not long ago with her and has suddenly been taken away from her. She describes him to have 'held something ever living' in him that she then states that 'Death' took away from her and from him too. Here death is personified to emphasizes how brutal death was.
The use of alliteration of 'piteous platitudes of pain' emphasizes her anger that people are telling her that he is dead. She almost spits the words out in grief and anger. She writes that he will 'come again' and that her heart would 'never beat if you were dead' so shows that she is not only convincing herself that he isn't dead she is trying to prove that he must still be alive if she is too. This clearly portrays that the speaker doesn't want to and wont accept that he is dead.
Anna G Keown uses words of comfort to reassure herself in that he may be dead such as 'summer' 'lilac' 'twilight'. These descriptive words of past times that she is holding onto show that she wont accept his death. She finishes the sonnet with saying that she is 'so very sure' that he isn't dead, portraying that she still needs to accept that he is but at this point she cannot do so.
A sonnet is associated with love poetry so shows the speakers love for the man she has lost causing to show a greater sense of loss she has encountered, this can also make the reader feel sympathy for the speaker in the poem as we are aware that she is in denial and pain about the loss but we know (or assume) that he must be dead.
The poem can be divided into two sections – the first 12 lines express anger at the manner in which others so readily assume that the soldier is dead; the final rhyming lines express her certainty that he is not dead and will come again. The final lines are important as the reader realizes that one day the speaker will have to accept that the soldier is not returning to her.
Posted on behalf of Darcey:
ReplyDelete‘A Fight To A Finish’ – S. Gertrude Ford
Ford worked tirelessly for the ‘women’s cause’ and appeared to be an ardent feminist. Ford’s poems appears to be staunchly anti- war and this poem stood out to me as she so boldly yet simply illustrates the futility of war. Research shows the poem to be written in 1917, by then the majorirty had seen war in its true light and the jingoistic view had been beaten down. The main them that is present in the poem is the pain of the people affected by war verse the feelings of the people war had benefited. The title is in quote, which to me seems like a war time saying, the use of ‘a’ instead of ‘the’ highlights that the soldiers will fight until the end, there is not a definite finish in sight but they will strive to reach any end.
The poem begins with ‘Fight the year out!’ the War-lords said’. War-lords is ambiguous, I take it to mean a dictator of war, so maybe authoritative figures who do not see the horrors of war on the front line and are optimistic and assertive as they are not the ones doing the actual fighting but have the prestige and glory of war. The ‘war-lords’ do not give a reason for fighting the year out, this echoes Sassoon’s declaration about the war being ‘deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to stop it’. The next line, ‘What said the dying among the dead?’ is a rhetorical question. This quote shows that the soldiers were either dead or close to death and contrasts with the heroic views of the ‘war-lords’, it emphasizes the destroying effects of war on Privates and how they are questioning in disbelief at how these ‘War-lords’ can be living so peacefully in the cosiness of ignorance.
‘To the last man!’ cried the profiteers’, this suggests people who have profited from war are urging them to carry on fighting for as long as it takes as the war has been good to them and they want to take advantage while the war is still going. The use of ‘cried’ progresses from ‘said’ in the first stanza, showing the pro-war people on the home front being more jingoistic and enthusiastic as they see no bad side to the war. Another rhetorical question follows, ‘What said the poor in the starveling years?’. ‘Starvelling’ means someone who is being starved or starving, this line presents the image that both soldiers at war and people back home in which war had hindered and worsened their lives during the last 4 or so years are questioning why these ‘profiteers’ are encouraging the war to carry on as their lives have deteriorated due to it.
‘War is good’ yelled the Jingo-kind’. This line demonstrates the nationalism and the close-mindedness some back at home obtained and the little knowledge they had of war. ‘Cried’ has once again progressed to ‘yelled’ furthermore presenting the eagerness of these pro-war people. Yet another rhetorical question ensues ‘What said the wounded, the maimed and the blind?’. Maimed means mutilated. The list of three damaging effects of war emphasizes the pain and extent of the injuries and consequences of war and shows how is war ‘good’ when it can do this to a human.
Darcey comments followed on:
ReplyDelete‘Fight on!’ the Armament-kings besought:’, armament is weaponry used in the war to guard and protect. The use of ‘kings’ shows the status these figures hold and the power they have over the war. The use of the word ‘besought’ meaning to beg shows they are pleading for the soldiers to keep fighting and moves on from ‘yelled’ as they are desperate for them to carry on. ‘Nobody asked what the women thought’ this highlights how although women did not generally engage in the physical act of combat, it clearly impinges upon and shapes their existence in profound and significant ways and nobody cares for the needs or wants of the women back home, they are irrelevant and have no say in the matter like these ‘war-lords’ and ‘profiteers’.
‘On!’ echoed Hate where the fiends kept tryst’ a fiend is a diabolically evil or wicked person and tryst is an appointed meeting. ‘Hate’ having its capital letter, is personified which shows its importance and gives and eerie doomed feel. It shows evil is behind the war, supporting and cheering it on, that the people who support war are ‘Hate’, they cheer from the sidelines not knowing what it is truly like. The poem finishes with ‘Asked the Church, even, what said Christ?’ this shows even God, religion being very important at the time is in disbelief at War. Even with God’s power and knowledge, he cannot even see the point or reason to war.
The AABBCCDDEE rhyme scheme adds an upbeat pace, making the poem read in a more ironic way, and shows the stark contrast between the pro-war and anti-war view. This poem links to others such as ‘Lament of the Demobalised’ by Vera Brittain which shows people who benefited by war are blind to the pain faced by those fighting, and those fighting are plagued by the futility of war and question why.
More Darcey comments:
ReplyDeleteHer Allowance – Lillian Gard
The working class women of England were affected by the wars more than the women of any other classes. Mothers from the working and lower classes especially had a hard time since they struggled to keep their children adequately fed and clothed with a small allowanance. “Her ‘Allowance’!” by Lillian Gard is an example of this. In the poem, the narrator is having a conversation with a female acquaintance who has a better quality of life than she does. The narrator says, ‘Er turned up’er nose at the patch on me shoe! And’er sez, pointed like, ‘Liza, what do’e do with yer’llowance?’ ’Er looked at the children (they’m clean and they’m neat, But their clothes be as plain as the victual they eat):’ Unlike the other woman, who is dressed in a “long feather and trimmy-up gown,” the narrator and her children’s clothes are not as elegant nor in as good condition. The narrator, being the mother, provides for her children the best way she knows how to. Their clothes are plain, but clean and neat. Her own shoe is broken, but she has it patched up and she wears it again. The other woman, who does not understand the limited budget on which this family is living, suggests that the narrator buys new clothes for her children as a treat. The narrator knows very well she cannot afford to buy anything new unless it is a necessity. Instead, she saves some of her allowance for future use in case her husband returns from battle wounded and is unable to work, or he does not return at all, Gard writes ‘And I puts back a foo’o they coins for ‘e may be needin’ a part – may my Bill – who can say?’, her sensible, logical and caring attitude shows women’s taking up their responsibilities while the men were away. Though the poem is short, it describes how a typical mother lives during the war. Her husband is away fighting in the war; her only source of income is a meager allowance, and with that allowance, she must carefully decide how best to spend it for her and her children. The language is colloquial written in a strong accent, with abbreviations and phonetical spelling clearly displaying the narrators social class, painting a clear picture and allows the reader to understand her hardships due to the difficulty of reading the poem.
The AAABCCCBDDDBEEEEEB gives an upbeat rhythm and highlights key words in particular ‘llowance’, which re-iterates the main focus of the poem. It was written in 1917 which shows the woman back home had had to deal with their poor situation for a long time, and presents a strong picture of the women even though times were hard. I feel this poem contrasts greatly with ‘Munitions Wages’ by Madeline Ida Bedford as it shows a woman hoping for the men to return, her life has become harder due to war and she has not benefited or blossomed like in ‘Munitions Wages’ and her money is scarce and she cannot live each day like it’s her last as she has to be sensible with her money due to her responsibilities as a mother and her hope her husband will return.
The poem 'Nothing To Report' by May Herschel-Clarke is about the deaths in war and how they were not reported in the news and therefore not being noticed by those at home and at war. The title 'Nothing To Report' shows that the deaths in war just went unnoticed and no one cared about the people that died.
ReplyDeleteThe length of the poem, being very short, reflects how the paper does not say anything and if it does in such a short way it passes lightly and is not given much thought. This does not support "Dulce decorum est pro patria mori" by Wilfred Owen.
The rhyme scheme of this poem is AAA which almost makes it sounds more lighthearted which reflects how the newspapers obviously dealt with the deaths that happened, however adds emphasise on the last words 'Ted', 'dead' and 'said' and being the key words sums up the whole poem in a way of showing how little attention these soldiers were given.
‘What Reward?’ By Winifred M. Letts
ReplyDeleteWinifred M. Letts was born in Ireland and served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment Nurse in 1915 at Manchester Base Hospital therefore would have experience from some of the casualties and injuries from war and could have influenced her thoughts in this poem
This poem starts by explaining that those who gave their life got a reward supporting the idea of it is sweet and glorious to die for your country. However those who lost their minds and were psychologically harmed from the horrors of war ‘what reward for him?’ Meaning what do they get, almost saying that it is worse to loss your mind from war than loosing your life.
In the last stanza Winifred M. Letts repeats the last line from the first stanza. This could show her disbelief and how they are going to have to live with this forever that a reward is needed. She says ‘O God, for such a sacrifice’ showing that their brain has been given up but nothing has been given in return but those who got ‘glory’ or ‘found his rest’ is a far better reward.
The Jingo- Woman by Helen Hamilton
ReplyDeleteHelen Hamilton was a school teacher. She enjoyed rock climbing and published Mountain Madness (1922) about her climbing experiences in the Alps. Her poem 'The Jingo-Woman' illustrates the jingoistic attiude of a group women on the home front, portraying them in a harsh light. The second line 'How I dislike you!' sums up the approach of the poem.
Hamilton continues to express her disgust towards the 'Jingo-Woman' referring to her as an 'insulter' 'wild,infuriated' and 'exasperating'. These descriptions suggest that the 'Jingo-Woman' may be rude and slightly crazy.
Hamilton believes that 'Jingo-Women' 'make all women seem such duffers' and 'shame..women'. She asks the women how they can be so pressurizing to the men to go to war, when they have never been in the mens position as it is not asked of them.
The poem has no ryhme scheme, but uses a range of line lengths and pauses to create a fast pace. This emphasizes the anger which Hamilton feels towards the 'Jingo-Woman'.