HOW DOES WILFRED OWEN CONVEY THE HORRORS OF WAR IN POETRY ? Many of Owen's poems direct anger towards the generals and those at home who have encouraged war.Owen's war poetry is a passionate expression of outrage at the horrors of war and of pity for the young soldiers sacrificed in it. It is dramatic and memorable, whether describing physical horror, such as in 'Dulce et Decorum Est' or mental torment such as in' Disabled'. His poetry evokes more from us than simple disgust and sympathy. Owen sympathizes with the vain young men who have no idea of the horrors of war, who are 'seduced' by others (Jessie Pope) and the recruiting posters.
Eric Bogle’s poem, The Green Fields of France, depicts the detrimental effects of war on individuals and the society. The use of hyperbole in, “The killing and dying was all done in vain…whole generation that were butchered and damned,” reflects how the society was ripped apart due to the death of loved ones, which lead to an unhealthy community. It further explains that families had to go through so much grief and anxiety for a war that did not achieve anything. Likewise, Bogle demonstrates the pointlessness of the war. “…Did they really believe that this war would end wars…it all happened again, and again, and again,” this use of rhetorical question and repetition emphasises the anti-war sentiment that both Bogle and Dawe capture.
Throughout ‘The War poems’ Owen creates a sense of sympathy for the soldiers who fight in war and are forced to endure horrific atrocities that either they themselves commit, or are committed against them, the continual assaults on their physical and emotional wellbeing. In the poems Owen recreates his experiences being an officer on the ‘Western Front’ in World War I, and voices his bitterness towards and rejection of the futility of war; the never ending loss of life at the hands of the British Military. Owen condemns those who encouraged young men to go to war and used rhetoric to give off the impression that war rewarded young men with glory. Owen rejects this in his poems by reflecting his own experiences as ‘Glorious’ and investigating the horrors of war, and their effect on the physical and emotional wellbeing of soldiers. Owen’s poems are riddled with references to the loss of youth, innocence and life.
This unspecified and detached account of this action and the death in general, shows the way in which the members of the platoon deal with the complexity of the war experience. So much so that O’Brien is able to turn the story of Curt Lemon to a love story. Many go into a war story expecting to hear about triumph, pride, courage, and sacrifice. However, O’Brien claims that a true war story will shatter all previous expectations of a war story and instead be about evil and more obscene things. O’Brien says, “A true war
An important theme throughout the poem is the concept of war used to glorify violence. The title of the poem which was widely used propaganda at that time exalts the concept of war, saying it’s a good and honourable thing to die for your country, but in reality, as evidenced by the soldier in the poem could not be more different. The idea of suffering is explored with the use of depressing and dismal language. The use of simile such as “bent double like old beggars” gives the impression that the soldiers have been prematurely aged, and seemingly deformed by the harsh conditions of war. This simile is an important contrast of the information people were fed at the time of soldiers being strong and proud.
Compare the ways the distinctively visual is created in The Shoehorn Sonata and one other related text of your own choosing. War is indeed an unconventional and traumatic experience that anyone would be ruined to endure. These experiences of war can be lived out through memory of hardships and war time acts of injustice and through the post-traumatic stress that is developed due to the experience. John Misto, play writer of “The Shoehorn Sonata” and Wilfred Owen the composer of “Dulce et decorum est”, have both undoubtedly condensed this thematic perception of war and how individuals can live out their experiences. This concept has been achieved through the employment of both visual and language techniques.
This book documented the acts of torture and violence against protestants, and would therefor be highly critical of those in high positions, such as More. More evidence of More’s lack of compassing and cruelty is that during his chancellorship, six people were burned at the stake. This brutal and common method of executing heretics showed More’s lack of compassion, especially towards those who did not believe in his faith, such as protestant reformer, Martin Luther. In a letter to Luther, More said “throw back into your paternity’s sh*tty mouth, truly the sh*t pool of all sh*t, all the muck and sh*t..”.
The desire for superiority and domination has plagued the twentieth century by power struggles between nations in the form of wars and large numbers of casualties. Over the centuries, poetry has endeavoured to communicate human emotions and ideas. Some present a glorified war in order to portray their love and patriotic attitude to their audience. Such a view is presented in “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke. Quite alternatively, some poems demonstrate a more realistic representation of war such as Kenneth Slessor’s poem “Beach Burial” and the first excerpt from the film production ‘Saving Private Ryan’ which encapsulate the futility of war and the intolerable atrocities on innocent lives.
Wilfred Owen wrote his poems during the war, he wrote his poems to present the horrific reality of war, to challenge the public perception that the media had fed them, he sought to express his own experiences to everyone. Throughout his poems the Owen convey the futility of war, loss, wasted youth and sacrifice. These are the main ideas expressed in the poem Futility, Owens manipulation of language techniques and the utilization of poetry are used in simultaneously to obliterate the romantic heroism of the war and emphasizing the pointlessness of war. In the poem Futility, Owens Emphasis is placed on a soldier that dies on the battle field of hyperthermia; the nameless young man who dies is used by Owen as a symbol for all the soldiers that die needlessly in the war. The title itself “futility” foreshadows for the responder the subject of the poem, giving them a general idea of what the poem addresses.
The two texts offer readers and viewers different insights into the nature of war. Both texts use very graphic imagery which is disturbing and often macabre to illustrate the confronting reality of war. Annaud utilises visual imagery and music to help create an effectively realistic mise-en-scene throughout the film. Annaud affirms the importance of hope and love whilst demonstrating the brutal political nature of war. In “Fly Away Peter” Malouf constructs characters to show how war affects people.