Pree 19th Centurey War Poetry Essay Research

Pree 19th Centurey War Poetry Essay, Research Paper

With reference to poems of my choice show how the war poetry

(Pre 20th Century) reflect both the glamour and horror of war.

The overall image that the reader can grasp after reading these poems is of a man.s view of what war is and how it affects the human race. Full .of tawdry lace, and glittering arms,. they maybe thinking of seeing. However, after all the glamour and battery smoke, has faded and settled, what is it, that will know face them, will it be .Parading round, and round, and round. or are you just .theirs, but to do and die..

After reading these poems what the reader can understand is that during, and before 1900 it would be seen as an act of bravery, a sign of patriotism and also they may see as glamour upon themselves. Glamour upon oneself may give them pride, respect and the thought of heroism.

When one joins his countries armed services he will be thinking he will be in good hands, when ordered by the officer, the officer would know what he is doing, the officer would have thought about it. Except this one. The stupidity of this one would be costly. .The charge of the light brigade. was just that. A supposedly trustworthy leader gave a thoughtless order and sent a .noble six hundred. half a leaguing .into the jaws of death..

The way in which the poet sets the tempo of the piece is highly linked to the way in which the soldiers would be hurdling towards the ridge where the Russians were be placed. On horses, they would have rode and the way the poem is paced is that of horses galloping.

What young men and boys would find appealing in this scenario, is that it would be seen as act of bravery and heroism, to be ordered into battle against shot and shell. That would be fired at them, from front and back, left and right, volleying and thundering, into their paths of attack. People who would read about this would have the thoughts and feelings of what a soldier would want them too have. They are brave and heroic didn.t think of the dangers they were just ordered and so they attacked.

Three lines which would sum up what their job was once they had left home turf is that of, .Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.. At home they would be full of enthusiasm, the people in charge of recruiting would be telling of all the good heroic acts that they would be performing. But once placed in a front line position with a sabre in one hand and a horse rein in the other it.s a totally different story. This is what people was lead to believe about the war.

To me the most horrific line in this poem is .when can their glory fade.. In the eyes of the commanding officer it will fade when he sends over the next victims of the thundering and volleying shells. But to the friends and families it will never, because in their eyes, there son, husband or fried would have fought for king and country and died a brave and well-respected man. However a person that he would of died for is that of the commanding officer and this is sad, as the officer would be able to live and tell the tail, but for the soldier it would be a different story.

A clever use of disrespect is the way in which the poet dismisses the use of the commander.s name and only mentions his act once. .Some one had blundered.. This is very clever, as in those days you wouldn.t have had news reporters on the scene, or reports in the newspapers. So it would be likely that no one really knows his name any way.

When we are young, anything that we may think about we would only see the glamorous side and not the horror. That.s what .For two voices. shows us, the sons. opinions of .The soldiers marching past in the sun. with .their bright spears!.

A feeling what the reader can pick up on from the mothers view on the situation, is that of, she may have experienced .the sound of a girl crying. or .many mothers wanting a son.. So this mother knows what consequences she could be facing, which are the total opposite to the sons thoughts. A sign in which shows the mother astonishment, is .Child, child, what are you saying., this to me shows that the child hadn.t thought through what he has said. He again only looks at the side in which all the army recruiting staff and the general.s want, and that.s of the glamour and not to think of any of the bad things.

.Here rides the general, pacing slow! .Well he may, if he knows what I know. This line is the most manipulative in the poem, as it could have meaning, of one of two things. He could be pacing slow to absorb all of the raw as well as the guarded emotions. This is a very clever use of psychology by the poet, as from a reader.s point of view you can see both sides of this argument. The way in which all of the other poems are set out to be, more on the critical offence; this poem is different, as the boys views shows us what he is seeing in there .bright spears.. The side in which he is expressing is again the side that the recruiting staff and generals would want them to see.

The over all message of John Scott.s poem, .The Drum.. Is him trying to make the reader understand his annoyance in what he is seeing, in that of the young boys selling their .liberty and charms. for .tawdry lace and glittering arms. at such an early age; but to the boys they are selling there freedom for what th