War poetry contrast - Anthem for Doomed Youth and Squadron Attack
aka. ""The Art of Bullshit
Poetry is often written on a plethora of subjects. War poems, howeverr, are ofetn very stiring and beautiful, conversely, the can aldso be distirbing. Two war poems which are very different are "Anthem for Doomed Youth," by WIlfred Owen, and "Squadron Attack," by Jack Davies.
"Athem for Doomed Youth" concentrates mainly on the horror of war, and especially the death of young men on the front line. The main subject of the poem ids of a funeral. The poem asks if there will be a funeral at all. What passing beells will ring for the dead? Non, just machine gun and rfile fire. What funeral pall will there be? Just the pallor of girlfriends and wives. But they are not even there, the are still at home, waiting... worrying. It is saying that all of these boys ae dying and not evemn getting a decent funeral, the holy rite of the dead.
"Squadron Attack," however, is a very different poem. The poem deals with the glory of war, and the exhilArtion of modern warfare. For example, a modern bomber or fighter flies in, drops its arnament, and flies out. No casualties. The poem is all anout flying in, and getting the glory. "The United States Air Force, protecting democracy, justice and The American Way."
The first poem, "AThewm for Doomed Youth," was set in world War One, which used mnanily trench warfare as the means to kill othersa. This was diretyu, dangerous, unopleasant, and wastef7ul, in both goodsa and loves. After the Great War, people wer saying that it was so horrbiel, there could never be anymore wars after that. They were wrong about the fact that there would never be any more wars, but at least the ;'standard' of war has increased. Instead of enlisting hundreds of boys who will shortly be gunned down, we have a few men is reasonably comfortable positions who can cause damage to key militayry targets and leave ciuvilians largely untoiuched. This advanced technology costs money, but many people wou;ld agree that it is wotrth it As long as damage is to property rather than collateral and confined to military installations.
We can see the difference in comfort during war in the poems. "Anthem for Dommed Yoputh" iuses several devices to echo the kmisery and pain felt by many in the trenches. The title uses assonance ion the oo sound. It is drawn out, sounding long and melancholy. Repetition is used in the poem to make it seem repetitive and monotonous, an personification makes thre enemy's guns seem evil and monstrous. This can cause us to feel some of the emotions felt in the trences, as sense of hat towards the enemy, and otherwise: dullnes and boredom.
Modern warfare has chnged dramatriclally in eighty yearsd or so. The military life may be hard, but certain comeforst are granted that boys in the trenmcheds would have dies for. You are in your base, you go on a sotrie, get nback, and: locker room showers. Air conditioned base. "Baskingm ijn glory at the pilot's loungue." Today, if you join the army, you get trained, with qualifications recongnised evertrywhere, and a guaranteed $30K job.
Viewing these two very different poems, we can see that the age of beautiful, stirring war poems like "Amnthem for Doomed Youth" may be gone. But if that means that wars are slowly affectinbg less and less of the general population, then that is of a positive not to society.
This essay shows you that you can get 52% by going to the drastic extent of making up a whole poem from thing air. Jack Davies, my ass!
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