The term “if I should die” was probably a used phrase when the soldiers were writing letters to their loved ones. This poem captures the attitudes of the time of much patriotism. The men were willing to sacrifice themselves for England and dying with happy hearts. The beginning of the war was not as volatile so the view on the war was very calm and collective. The enthusiasm of winning the war and the confidence that it would be over by Christmas was very high.
This war and battle imagery used in the poem helps the reader to understand deeper, about the metaphorical meaning of this poem; that it is not just about comforting his son from the pain of the nettles, but also about the future pain of which he knows he will experience in his life. He knows that “My son would often feel sharp wounds again”, meaning he will soon in the near future may come across the same
However, she now realises that “no hand will save her”, but the poem ends in peace and acceptance, as death will be followed by eternity - “waters that bear me away forever”. The poem contrasts the unthinking impulses of childhood with the reflective appreciation of middle age. Death has been placed in perspective as only one aspect of life and memories and friendship enable people to transcend death. The poetic voice acknowledges the true value of friendship. There are images of change such as Harwood as a child, carefree and confident to a middle aged person with an aging body — “when our bones begin to wear
Although both Birdsong and Regeneration present the horrors of World War 1, the authors also look at the affects of war on relationships. It will be interesting to see how love and sex is nuanced as the relationships experienced during this time have many complications. Both authors portray relationships between men as the most important form of love during the Great War. On the battlefield, love between men is an accepted and desirable occurrence as it means that soldiers have something to fight for and their friendships give them the strength to carry on. In ‘Birdsong’, we see a close bond between Stephen and Weir.
Lindsey Culp AP Literature Mrs. Lawrence 13 January 2015 1943 In the poem “1943”, written by Donald Hall, was a fathomless yet direct poem pertaining to an event during the year of 1943. World War II was close to coming to an end. When I was at a young age, I knew that I would always have a greater love for history because of one man. My great-grandfather, James Edward, before he came to be with the Lord loved to tell stories especially the ones about war. His stories about times of enjoyment in the states, experiencing WWII, and getting to see God’s beautiful creation of our lands is what drew me to this poem.
Although some of the events were changed in the book, the story about Jacob was a true experience! I made the decision to read this book because I am very intrigued with the Holocaust experience. I am also always curious to know how some of the Holocaust child survivors endured such tragedy. Jacob’s Rescue: A Holocaust Story is about a young Jewish boy named Jacob who grew up during the Holocaust. Jacob was a poor little boy who lived with this grandmother and two brothers.
Of what I’ve read so far in “The Things They Carried”, all of the stories that the author tells seem to end in sorrow. Well of course, war itself isn’t the happiest of things, but I at least expected a story about winning a battle or something along those lines. The poem, “Thoughts of You” captures the essence of the relationship between Mark Fossie and Mary Ann. Lines from the poem, such as “Thoughts of you make me smile” or “Thoughts of you give me strength” shows how Mark thought of Mary before she flew over to Vietnam. The thought of her made him stronger, and helped him cope with the stresses of the war.
In High School, most young men on campus are interested in women. They like to meet them, date them, love them, and appreciate them. However, if they make relationships with them, some could get hurt physically, mentally, and emotionally. William Blake, the author of “The Garden of Love” explains the significance of the saying, “You never know what you really have, until it is gone” in the second and third paragraphs of his poem, while in the first paragraph, he portrays a recollection of memories he has made in the past. In this poem, Blake’s character becomes overcome with nostalgia when he sees that his longed-for garden is no longer present.
This poem is my favourite poem due to the double meaning of the poet’s words you could read one thing but it truly means something else. That is why I chose this poem for my Culminating Activity. Shel Silverstein is a children’s poet who wrote “Where the Sidewalk Ends” as a child’s poem but was really intended for adults. In the poem he is hinting that adults need to take a step back and put themselves back as children to find joy and passion again. I feel that this message is important in everyday life because people take life too seriously and later regret not had enjoying themselves more.
There are many symbols in the novel A Separate Peace but one that definitely stands out would be World War II. In the novel this tragic war symbolizes an indefinite amount of things like the arrival of adulthood to the triumph of the competitive spirit over innocent play and most importantly it symbolizes conflict. This relates to one of the major themes in the novel, questioning one’s identity. Gene throughout the whole story is someone who doesn’t really know who he is and he feels that enlisting in the war would be something that would help him find himself. Enlisting in the war would help him feel more secure about where he stands at that point in his life.