Comparison of War Poems

Comparison of War Poems

  • Submitted By: Lati
  • Date Submitted: 03/14/2009 2:38 AM
  • Category: History Other
  • Words: 1791
  • Page: 8
  • Views: 1

War Poem Collection

Throughout the history of war, different factions have clashed for an uncountable amount of different reasons. As with any controversial issue like war, everyone has their own opinion and reasoning. Through poetry, poets can express their feelings about war in a very strong and emotive way. In this collection, I have selected four poems by different poets which present four views of war, with many similarities and differences. I chose and collected these poems because I believe that they accurately display the various aspects of war that must be considered and the numerous assorted views of people regarding war. The poems within this collection are For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon (1914), In Flanders Fields by John McCrae (1915), The Hero by Siegfried Sassoon (1917) and Into the Face of Death by Samuel Martins (1924).

Firstly, the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon is a very moving poem of remembrance and sadness. Rather than focusing on the physical, violent aspects of war such as the needless bloodshed and loss of life, as in Into the Face of Death, For the Fallen focuses more on the emotional and mental aspects of war, such as the immense bravery, courage and moral duty of the soldiers as they march off to almost certain death to serve their country. It is centred mainly on the terrible sacrifice that these soldiers made to ensure the freedom of their fellow countrymen. For the Fallen is also similar to McCrae’s In Flanders Field in the way that both poems talk about how in death, the soldiers are at peace with themselves and the world, although also expressing the sadness and anguish at the unnecessary deaths of these young men, shown in the stanza, “They mingle not with their laughing comrades again/They sit no more at familiar tables at home/They have no lot in our labour of the day-time/They sleep beyond England's foam,” (For the Fallen) and, “We are the Dead. Short days ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow/Loved and...

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