Snaith // War Poems (CAMELS)

The Solider – Rupert Brooke 
C) The idealistic pre-war attitudes of 1914, which disintegrated as the realities of war set in and the death count mounted. 
A) Based around the philosophy that it’s an honour and a privilege to die for England. Links to extended metaphor of England being a mother whom you should impress. Appeals to a British character.

“under an English heaven” “England’s bore”

M+E) love, this poem is in sonnet form. Sonnets are traditionally used as love poems; thus, love is portrayed. 

Religious imagery, “dust concealed” depicts the magnitude of the poet’s love for England as being that of religious nature and almost of tangible pride. 

L) “the solider”, title suggest anonymous solider, perhaps reflects how many people lost their lives. 

“If I should die”, if is ironic, you will most likely die. 

“breathing English air” and “all evil shed away”, purity in death, horrors of war disappear as you die an honourable English man. 

S) “under an English heaven”, suggests that only people from the so perceived mother country can go to heaven. Can there be a German heaven?

Links) Dulce et decorum est (opposing political views on propaganda), Mametz Wood

 Dulce et decorum est – Wilfred Owen 

C) Overarching content is the clearly apparent theme of propaganda and the mental and physical exhaustion derived from the cruelty and barbarity of war. 

“dulce et decorum est”, Latin a dead language used to show the outdated war philosophy the government holds. 

A) A strong shadow of anger is embellished throughout the poem. Owen is angry due to the lies being told to children “desperate for some ardent glory”. The poems vibrant imagery and searing tone make it an unforgettable excoriation of WWI “vile incurable sores”

M+E) helplessness, “guttering chocking drowning”, triplet and alliteration purposefully used to exaggerate the soldier’s suffering. 

Disparity, “devil sick of sin”, perhaps the soldiers have seen to much evil for heaven but completed too much evil for hell.

L)The poem is a combination of two sonnets, although the spacing between the two is irregular. It resembles French ballad structure. The broken sonnet form and the irregularity reinforce the feeling of otherworldliness.

“floundering like a man in fire or lime”, ambiguous as literally portrays the mustard gas but metaphorically impliesthat the lime used in the cleansing of dead bodies, symbolises a dead man walking. 

S) Poem plays with my emotion via the use of emotive language. Distresses me to understand the torment that my ancestors suffered due to trickery of propaganda.

Links) The solider (opposing political views on propaganda), Mametz Wood

Manhunt – Simon Armitage

C) Essentially this poem revolves around the physical injuries and mental traumas a man has acquired from war and the journey of his partner (gender left ambiguous) takes to reconnect. “blown hinge”, typically used in the instance of a door. This therefore implies that this individual was treated almost as an…