The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry :: Poetry World War Poems Poets Essays

The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry Compare and contrast the attitudes to the First World War in the poetry you have read. Focus in detail on four poems, two of which should be by the same author. When the war started the general feeling of the English was that the war was great and would be over before Christmas. This is evident in much of the early war poetry. As the war progressed, however, people began to feel disillusioned and eventually had an overwhelming feeling of futility in that so many lives were wasted for such little gain. The people back home were left feeling bitter as they gained knowledge about the suffering these young men had endured. The poetry I am going to analyse ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke, ‘Cricket’ by Jessie Pope, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen reflects these changing views. Rupert Brooke was born in 1887. He joined the Navy at the start of the war, but died in 1915 whilst going to take part in the Dardenelles campaign. In 1914, Brooke composed his poem ‘The Soldier’ which is the fifth poem in a collection of five which displays the glory of war. As he saw little action in the Great War, Rupert Brooke was unaware of the terrible conditions in the trenches. This was because he never fought on the battlefields and due to this Brooke holds a much more glorified view of war. Brooke describes his death in ‘The Soldier’. He talks about how he is not scared of dying; describing the way in which he will rest in peace â€Å"under an English heaven.† Rupert Brooke sees England as idyllic and tranquil and talks about his love for his motherland. Brooke feels by fighting for England he is giving something back. Brooke uses many language techniques to portray his feelings. He uses repetition of the word â€Å"England† to show his patriotism. He refers to the English country as a female; â€Å"Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam† This makes highly effective use of personification. It shows Brooke's romantic view towards his country, making the reader feel proud for his country as well. Religious overtones such as â€Å"evil shed away†, â€Å"eternal mind†, â€Å"blessed† and â€Å"English heaven† are used throughout ‘The Soldier’ to show purity and to portray the typical views of a Christian country. To make the poem calm and poetic, Brooke uses natural imagery such as â€Å"air†, â€Å"river† and â€Å"flowers†. The effects of these words make the reader feel happy and calm. Sibilance is used with; â€Å"Sights and sound†. This soft sounding alliteration slows the pace which makes the The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry :: Poetry World War Poems Poets Essays The Attitudes to the First World War in Poetry Compare and contrast the attitudes to the First World War in the poetry you have read. Focus in detail on four poems, two of which should be by the same author. When the war started the general feeling of the English was that the war was great and would be over before Christmas. This is evident in much of the early war poetry. As the war progressed, however, people began to feel disillusioned and eventually had an overwhelming feeling of futility in that so many lives were wasted for such little gain. The people back home were left feeling bitter as they gained knowledge about the suffering these young men had endured. The poetry I am going to analyse ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke, ‘Cricket’ by Jessie Pope, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen reflects these changing views. Rupert Brooke was born in 1887. He joined the Navy at the start of the war, but died in 1915 whilst going to take part in the Dardenelles campaign. In 1914, Brooke composed his poem ‘The Soldier’ which is the fifth poem in a collection of five which displays the glory of war. As he saw little action in the Great War, Rupert Brooke was unaware of the terrible conditions in the trenches. This was because he never fought on the battlefields and due to this Brooke holds a much more glorified view of war. Brooke describes his death in ‘The Soldier’. He talks about how he is not scared of dying; describing the way in which he will rest in peace â€Å"under an English heaven.† Rupert Brooke sees England as idyllic and tranquil and talks about his love for his motherland. Brooke feels by fighting for England he is giving something back. Brooke uses many language techniques to portray his feelings. He uses repetition of the word â€Å"England† to show his patriotism. He refers to the English country as a female; â€Å"Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam† This makes highly effective use of personification. It shows Brooke's romantic view towards his country, making the reader feel proud for his country as well. Religious overtones such as â€Å"evil shed away†, â€Å"eternal mind†, â€Å"blessed† and â€Å"English heaven† are used throughout ‘The Soldier’ to show purity and to portray the typical views of a Christian country. To make the poem calm and poetic, Brooke uses natural imagery such as â€Å"air†, â€Å"river† and â€Å"flowers†. The effects of these words make the reader feel happy and calm. Sibilance is used with; â€Å"Sights and sound†. This soft sounding alliteration slows the pace which makes the