War Poetry Essay, Research Paper

During a war people do not understand the pain, sacrifice, and hardship that the soldiers

endure. Many are just interested with the outcome. Many questions asked are, ?Are we winning?? as if it is a game they are watching. Propaganda is used to lure boys into the army and comfort family members. It is not until the soldier returns from war (if lucky) deformed and mentally traumatized, that the true colours of war are seen. War poetries are written by many soldiers to tell their experiences, the hurt and hardship they have gone through. They are traumatized by the great amount of death they have seen, the fear of been killed. The dark red colour of blood will forever be engraved in their mind, haunting them in their sleep. Two war poems that which are examples of war poetry are ? In Flanders Fields?, by John McCRAE and ?Suicide In The Trenches? by Sigfried Sassoon. These poems are similar in that they both rhyme, but are different in that the theme of glory and pride surrounds the poem, ?In Flanders Fields? while the theme of anger surrounds the poem, ?Suicide in the Trenches? and also ? In Flanders Fields? is written in a positive tone towards war while ?Suicide in the Trenches? has a negative tone towards war.

The two poems are similar in that they both us the same poetic technique which is rhyme. They are both similar even though ?Suicide in the Trenches? has rhyming couplets through out the poem while only parts of ?In Flanders Fields? are in rhyming couplets. A rhyming couplet is evident in the first stanza of ?Suicide in the Trenches?, ?I know a simple soldier boy/ who grinned at life in empty joy?(Sassoon 1-2). The last word of every line rhymes with the last word in the next line. This is also evident in the poem ?In Flanders Fields?, ?In Flanders Fields the poppies blow/ between the crosses row on row?(McCRAE 1-2). The two poets are similar in their poetic techniques by using rhyme in there poems.

All form of poetry has a theme and the poem by John McCRAE and Sigfried Sassoon have different but very strong themes. ? In Flanders Fields? by John McCRAE exemplifies the theme of glory and pride. The soldiers in WWII were very proud with their contributions to the war and do not want to be forgotten. The deceased soldiers buried in Flanders Field want to show that they were human and once, ? . . . lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow/ Loved and were once loved, and now . . .lie/ In Flanders Fields?(McCRAE 7-9) the dead soldiers did not want their fight and struggle to mean and have it happen for nothing. Event thought they are dead they want the people to fight for the same cause: freedom, until it was achieved. The soldiers that died in battle while fighting for freedom want others to:

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; and be yours to hold it high (McCRAE 10-12).

The torch, which symbolizes glory and pride, is now passed on to others to continue the fight that has cost many soldiers their lives. There is one other message sent out; the deceased soldiers will not rest, ? if ye break faith with us who die?(McCRAE 13). This is an example of the soldiers pride and if the people do no succeed in glory then forever the soldiers will not rest in peace even though poppies are growing in Flanders Fields. Sassoon?s poem does not exemplify glory and pride but of anger. The poem is a story of an innocent child going off to war and finding Hell on earth while people elsewhere have no clue of what war is about. The narrator directs his anger towards the,? . . . smug faced crowds with kindling eye/ Who cheer when soldier lads march? (Sassoon 9-10). The narrator id frustrated and angered by the fact that many are dead on battlefields while people are cheering for their soldiers without knowing how bad a war is. He is angered that they do not know, ? The Hell where youth and laughter go? (Sassoon 12). Innocence is lost in war. No one wants to think of the Hell of war, the pain soldiers go through or about a boy that ? . . .put a bullet through his brain?(Sassoon 7). A boy who once was also innocent until he entered the hell of war.

?In Flanders Fields is Written in a positive tone that reflects the good that might come about in the future while, ?Suicide in the Trenches? has a negative tone towards war. ? in Flanders Fields? acknowledges the positive reasons for the war. The fight for freedom and glory. The dead soldiers tell the people

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; and be yours to hold it high (McCRAE 10-12).

They want them to continue their fight and to carry on the torch of glory and freedom they have lit. ?Suicide in the Trenches? on the other hand is written in a negative tone. War as explained by the narrator is where innocence comes to die. The narrator mentions ? . . . a simple soldier boy/ Who grinned at life in empty joy?(Sassoon 1-2). This little boy?s innocence was shattered, ? In winter trenches, cowed and glum/With crumps and lice and lack of rum/He put a bullet through his brain?(Sassoon5-7). This suicide committed describes the negative aspect of war. The pain suffered was so great that there was no other choice but to commit suicide.

War as described by Sigfried Sassoon, ? the Hell where youth and laughter go?(Sassoon 12). This is true to many soldiers and through their poetry they are trying to show the true colours of war, the pain suffered, the traumatization of death, and also the glory of victory. They do not want to be forgotten as exemplified by the poem ?In Flanders Fields? by John McCRAE and ?Suicide in the Trenches) by Sigfried Sassoon. These two poems are similar in their poetic techniques in that they use rhyme but are different in their themes in which McCRAE?s poem exemplifies glory and pride while Sassoon?s poem exemplifies anger, also McCRAE?s poem is written in the positive tone while the other is written in the negative tone.