War. This controversial issue has heads spinning worldwide. It is highly contested and highly controversial for a variety of reasons. War can be defined as a state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states or parties.
In both written and visual texts, composers use language forms and features and visual techniques to convey their insights into war. A composer’s purpose in representing war varies quite a lot. Some may condemn war, try to justify it or aim to provide consolation to the victims of war.
In these two texts, which are both written texts, the poem; the soldier by Rupert Brooke and novel; generals die in bed by Charles Yale Harrison portray two opposing views on the controversial topic that is war.
Generals Die in Bed attempts to strip war of its romance and glamour as the novel focuses heavily on the futility of war and how many of the soldiers were merely naive young boys, fighting fruitlessly for meaningless ideals.
Though the novel is undoubtedly an anti-war text, it doesn't preach at its audience, instead presenting the horrors of military life and trench warfare up close. The common understanding of war as glorious and noble, associated with courage, camaraderie and honour, is shown to be entirely false.
The soldier recounts the savage behaviour of men who are reduced to animals because of the neglect of their superiors, sacking their allies' towns to meet their own physical needs. The men come to see their superiors as the enemy. Rather than camaraderie it's each man for himself. The common experience is one of alienation.
A horse is wounded. We hear the beast's shriek above the howl of the bombardment. It is one of the four horses drawing a light field-piece. The wounded animal whirls around, dragging his mute, pawing mates with him.
This paragraph which is an extract from the book is a great example to show the use of language devices which are evident within the course of the poem.
* Emotive...