Name:- Hinaba D.Sarvaiya.
M.A. sem 2
Paper no:- History of English Literature From 1900to 2000
Roll no:- 09
Enrollment no:- 4069206420210032
Email ID:- hinabasarvaiya1711@gmail.com
Submitted by:- S.B.Gardi Department of English MKBU.
Q:- 'The Soldier' and 'Dulce et Decorum Est' Different Representations of the first World War in Poetry.
Introduction:-
During its duration from 1914 to 1918 the First World War changed the world forever and its impact, politically and culturally, can still be felt today. When the war started on the 28th July 1914 the leaders of the European nations could not foresee the length and the brutality of this war. They believed the war would be over by winter, but instead it lasted for four years, causing the death of millions.
Art, and especially poetry, was, of course, influenced by this war. 'Dulce et Decorum Est' poem by Wilfred Owen and 'The Soldier' poem by Ruper Brook. Both poem are representation of different mentality.
What is War poem?
War poetry is a literary genre originated during war time when hundreds of soldiers, and also civilians caught up in conflict, started to write poetry as a way of striving to express extreme emotion at the very endge of experience. War poetry is not necessarily ‘anti-war’. It is, however, about the very large questions of life: identity, innocence, guilt, loyalty, courage, compassion, humanity, duty, desire, death. Its response to these questions, and its relation of immediate personal experience to moments of national and international crisis, gives war poetry an extra-literary importance. Owen wrote that even Shakespeare seems ‘vapid’ after Sassoon: ‘not of course because Sassoon is a greater artist, but because of the subjects’.
The First World War and its poetry:-
the First World War was against the war. In fact, a lot of poetry written at the beginning of the war glorifies the war.
Two of the most famous ‘war poets’ of the First World War are Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke. At first glance both poets seem to have many similarities: Both, Owen and Brooke, were civilians, who joined the army at a young age, both wrote poetry inspired by their war experiences, and both died during the war. But looking at the content of their poems the differences are significant, almost as if both poets witnessed different wars: While Brooke’s poems glorify war and the heroic deeds of the soldiers, Owen’s poetry tries to show the reality of war and trench warfare.
As both poets are examples for the changing perception of war in early and later ‘war poetry’, so are their poems “The Soldier” and “Dulce et Decorum est” examples of how those different mentalities are represented in poetry.
A unique characteristic of ‘war poetry’ is its extremely realistic and vivid writing, trying to show the reality of modern warfare. This is seen, for example, in the later poetry by Sassoon or Owen, with the aim to warn people of the war (cf. White 56). Generally, the ‘war poets’ are divided into two groups, with the battle of the Somme1 marking the division between those two (cf. Johnston xi-xii): The early poets from 1914 to 1916, who are characterized by their pro-war and patriotic attitude, and the later poets from 1917 to 1918, who became disillusioned with the war and wrote anti-war poetry. To fully understand the poetry of that time, it is therefore important to connect the poetry to the individual war experiences of the poets.
About Poets information:-
Rupert Brooke:-
Rupert Brooke was an English poet who studied in the niversity of Cambridge and between his graduation in 1909 and the stat of world war I in 1914, Brooke spent most of his time writing and traveling. His poetry during this period, still emphasized the themes of love and nature. Brooke found happiness in Tahiti, but he decided to retire England in 1914 with a few months of retire, world War I began, Brooke volunteered for service in the war and the joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, the gruop's first destination was Antwerp, Belgium. The lull in fighting turned into a fruitful period for Brooke, for itwas then that he produced his best known poetry, the groups of five was sonnets title 'Nineteen Fourteen' these sonnets express the hopeful idealism and enthusiasm with which Britain entered the war.
Wilfred Owen:-
WILFRED OWEN
Even though Owen is one of the most well-known war poets today, he was mostly unknown as a poet during his lifetime. When he was sent to the Somme battlefield in January 1917 the war he saw was a very different one, then the one described in Brook’s poetry. Owen saw hopeless stalemate fights and the horrors of war and became disillusioned of the war.2 During a hospital stay in 1917 he met Siegfried Sassoon and was strongly influenced by him. He wrote most of his poems during that time, until returning to active service in September 1918, but was killed in action on the 4th November 1918, exactly one week before the Armistice. His collected poems were published two years after his death and Owen got recognized and praised as one of the greatest poets of the war, with “Dulce et Decorum est” being one of his most famous poems.
Comparing , 'The Soldiers' and 'Dulce et Decorum Est'
Analysis of the Poems
The themes of “The Soldier” and “Dulce et Decorum est” are very similar, as both deal with death, patriotism, sacrifice and the glorification of war, but the poems come to very different conclusions. As already stated this analysis will focus on the form of both poems, in other words the internal form (the meter and the foot) and the external form, as the form reflects the different mentalities of the poets.
The Soldiers:-
The Soldier, sonnet by Rupert Brooke, published in 1915 in the collection 1914. Perhaps his most famous poem, it reflects British sorrow over and pride in the young men who died in World War I.
Narrated in the first person by an English soldier, the poem is sentimental, patriotic, and epitaphic. In the closing sestet, the poem’s speaker suggests that his soul is eternally linked with England. The poem’s familiar opening lines acquired even greater poignancy as a result of Brooke’s own wartime death.
The poem started lines...
"If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field. That is for ever England"
Here we find this poem deeply patriotic and idealistic poem that expresses a soldiers love for his homeland in this case England. Soldier proud for origin of his existence and he desire to consciousness will retire when he dies. The soldiers are very enthusiasm for the war and here we find some hope to retire after die in war. England shaped, made by soldiers and he always to thanks fully for his country because it give to birth or fresh air, washed rivers blest by suns of home. Soldier desire to..
" In hearts at peace, under an English heaven"
Another poem Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen. Let's discuss it.
Since Owen was among the Georgians, mostly he is compared and contrasted with them. Hibberd (1979) is one of the critics that compares Owen with other Georgians, believing that he gradually separated himself from them and was far above them though in his early poems he was under their influence.
Dulce et Decroum est“ is an extreme contrast to “The Soldier”, as Owen tries to express and expose the reality of war, with his very direct and realistic style.
Owen uses the form of the poem to reflect his anti-war mentality, as the reader is forced to see the disparity between the harsh reality of war and romantic idealism, usually associated with sonnets.
The title comes from the Latin phrase in Horace, meaning ‘It is sweet and meet to die for one’s country. Sweet! And Decorus!’” (Bloom 15). The Latin word “decorus” has multiple translations and could be translated as ‘beautiful’ or ‘glorious.
"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge."
In this poem started this lines and we find this poem reflect lted the terrible or brutal situation of the soldiers. The poem reflect the brutal everyday struggle of a company of soldiers. Focuses one soldiers agonizing death and discuss the trama that this event left behind. The poem focuses that myth of the war is glorious image or horrifying reality. The soldiers are also tired and sleeping is they walk. Reality of war that is horrific inhuman. Soldier isbdrowing and jumps past movement gad attack to present movement. Here poet used the grean sea it means the poison and soldiers wearing the mask but not any benifit. The speaker compares to the horror of cancer and other diseases that ravage event the innocent.
Conclusion:-
the First World War was against the war. In fact, a lot of poetry written at the beginning of the war glorifies the war. The themes of “The Soldier” and “Dulce et Decorum est” are very similar, as both deal with death, patriotism, sacrifice and the glorification of war, but the poems come to very different conclusions. As already stated this analysis will focus on the form of both poems, in other words the internal form and the external form, as the form reflects the different mentalities of the poets.
As both poets are examples for the changing perception of war in early and later ‘war poetry’, so are their poems “The Soldier” and “Dulce et Decorum est” examples of how those different mentalities are represented in poetry.
Words :- 1,584.
Work citations:-
Muin, Ben. "The Soldier" and "Dulce Et Decorum Est". Different Representations of the First World War in Poetry. 30 Apr. 2020.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "The Soldier". Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Aug. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Soldier-poem-by-Brooke. Accessed 7 May 2022.
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