The Tradition Of War Poetry Essay - 2221 Words

The Tradition Of War Poetry By comparing and contrasting a selection of war poems consider the ways in which attitudes to war have been explored and expressed. When considering poetry written post 1900 concentrate on a selection of poems written by Wilfred Owen. Humans have turned to poetry in many different instances as a way of expressing them selves, using the best combination of words, in the best order to express exactly how they are feeling at that moment. Poetry is one of the most powerful means of communication that uses words very sparingly, and often defines the era in which the poet lived and died. I think that is why many poems are written about war, as anyone who was involved in†¦show more content†¦He also uses strong metaphors to describe how the men should fight in the battle, such as imitate the action of the tiger. This line prepares the troops psychology as well as physically by saying that they should be strong, courageous and fierce like the animal. The poem is also very patriotic, and talks of how the men should not disgrace their mothers or ancestors. Like the poem The Soldier by Rupert Brooke, it presents the idea that dying for your country would be a good, brave thing to do and is in a way a sense of dut y towards their mother England. This poem is not wholly positive or negative. It gives war a good image by making it sound courageous and noble but it also expresses some horrific images such as, Or close the wall with our English dead. I think that the last line of the poem, Cry, God for Harry, England and Saint George. sums up the overall message of the poem by ending in a strong religious line, using a group of 3 to make the speech effective, and emphasising the fact that their cause is a righteous one. Although The Charge Of The Light Brigade does put much importance on the idea of how brave and courageous the men fighting were it also creates a different message compared to The Battle Of Harfleur from Henry V. I think what Alfred Tennyson was trying to do in this poem was to convey and explain what mistakesShow MoreRelatedEssay on T.s. Eliot And Society1454 Words   |  6 Pagesgreat social change. Among these things were World War I, the Civil Rights Movement, prohibition, women suffrage, and the Great Depression. Particularly after World War I and during women’s suffrage, society’s standpoint on certain issues changed dramatically. After World War I, people’s attitudes swung with high expectations for themselves but were soon lowered after the economy’s fall. During women’s suffrage, society’s focus on simple traditions shifted to concentrate on more of urban culture. TheRead MoreThe Road Taken By William Carlos Williams And Robert Frost855 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen more comfortable with establishing new literary norms while other prefer to maintain traditional forms. Between World War I and World War II the literary world was in a turbulent time. Authors and poets spoke out against social and political struggles. This can be specifically seen in the works of William Carlos Williams and Robert Frost, who both held on to literary tradition to communicate their struggle with the changing world around them. William Carlos Williams, a poet known for ensuringRead MoreWar and Modernism Poems During the Earky 1900s Essay999 Words   |  4 Pagesabout the horrors of rebellion they encountered; others, like Wilfred Owen, were part of the dreadful World War I and were urged by their memories to start writing (â€Å"Wilfred Owen†). Both were part of the modernist movement, of which Yeats is often regarded as one of the founders. Modernism was a movement that outstretched literature and poetry, yet provided a new amount of freedom for war poets, as it allowed them to express themselves in the modernist fashion of free forms and room for criticismRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prelude And Lord Byron s Biting Epic1202 Words   |  5 Pagesextend the epic tradition, the Romantic poets subverted the characteristics and tropes attributed to epic poetry, in turn creating an interesting revision of the epic. Two seminal works of Romantic poetry that adequately showcase the revision of epic traditio n are William Wordsworth’s introspective epic The Prelude and Lord Byron’s biting epic satire Don Juan. Incorporating either introspection and reflection or irony and satire, both works incorporate themes from the epic tradition while also subvertingRead MoreWilliam Wordsworth s The Prelude And Lord Byron s Biting Epic1219 Words   |  5 Pagesextend the epic tradition, several Romantic poets subverted the characteristics and tropes attributed to epic poetry, creating an interesting revision of the epic. Two seminal works of Romantic poetry that adequately showcase the revision of epic tradition are William Wordsworth’s introspective epic The Prelude and Lord Byron’s biting epic satire Don Juan. Incorporating either introspection and reflection or irony and satire, both of these works incorporate themes from the epic tradition while also subvertingRead MoreNature: Goddess of Africa1650 Words   |  7 Pagespeople. Okara is one of the most significant an d serious early Nigerian poets. He started writing poetry in the early fifties and is still a practicing poet. His poems contain elements of nature that are among the best of Nigerian poetry. The motifs of childhood, innocence and nostalgia also run through many of his poems. He is often concerned about the identity of his people. Throughout his poetry there is evidence of the influence of the traditional folk literature of his people. In fact some ofRead MoreEssay on Langston Hughes1393 Words   |  6 Pageson ships to Africa and Europe, a busboy, and a dishwasher, his poetry appeared regularly in such magazines as The Crisis (NAACP) and Opportunity (National Urban League).1 As a poet, Hughes was the first person to combine the traditional poetry with black artistic forms, especially blues and jazz. As a leader in the Harlem Renaissance of the twenties and thirties Hughes became the movements best known poet. He published two poetry collections, The Weary Blues (1926) and Fine Clothes to the JewRead MoreElizabethan Poetry941 Words   |  4 PagesElizabethan Poetry I Drama dominates our syllabus but the Renaissance was a Golden Age not just for English drama, but also for English poetry. But what was English poetry? George Puttenham’s The Arte of English Poesie (1589) and Sir Philip Sidney’s The Defense of Poesie (1595): early attempts to think about English poetry as a distinct national tradition. Puttenham and Sidney were concerned to build a canon and help shape English poetry into a tradition capable of rivalling more prestigiousRead MoreThe Odyssey : The Aeneid And The Odyssey1075 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom the same event (the Trojan War) but follow different characters, touching on different aspects of the idealized hero in Roman and Greek culture. We must first start by discussing who Virgil and Homer were and the societies they came from. Publius Vergilius Maro was born in Andes, a village near Mantua in Cisalpine Gaul, in 70 b.c.e. He was born into a peasant farming family and the Italian countryside its people influenced and was reflected through his poetry. Virgil received his educationRead MoreThe War From The Realm Of Myth And Poetry1267 Words   |  6 Pagessuggested that we should move the narrative of the Trojan War from the realm of history into the realm of myth and poetry until we have more evidence. Many would argue that we now have that additional evidence, particularly in the form of the Hittite texts discussing Ahhiyawa and Wilusa and the new archaeological data from Troy. The lines between reality and fantasy might be blurred, particularly when Zeus, Hera, and other gods become involved in the war, and we might question about some of the details.