Poem during World War 1

Brief introduction of poems during World War 1.

World War 1 is associated with the so-called “war poets”. For example, Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Rupert Brooke.

World War 1 did produce the poetry targeted the lifestyle of those who fought in the war or in other word, experienced the war.

The poets also came from different and varieties of religious backgrounds. The majority of this war poets were influenced by the “Georgian” poetry movement. The word of “Georgian” symbolize a king. 

So, they considered themselves to be modern and innovative.

Poetry during World War 2 also more famous and more read rather than any poems from World War 2.

Siegfried Sassoon,

Suicide in the Trenches

I knew a simple soldier boy,

Who grinned at life in empty joy,

Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,

And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,

With crumps and lice and lack of rum,

He put a bullet through his brain,

No one spoke of him again.

You smug faced crowds with kindling eye,

Who cheer when soldier lads march by,

Sneak home and pray you’ll never know,

The hell where youth and laughter go.

Analysis of “ Suicide in the Trenches”

What is the meaning of war? What is war like? How do soldiers feel in a war?

When I first read this poem, I get confused whether the boy has been killed during war or he committed suicide. The word of “trenches” symbolize that not only depression possessed by one young soldier boy, but also by many others people in war. Perhaps the boy wanted to express his feeling about war. We can say that he willingly chose to commit suicide rather than live in chaos world, that full of war. He did not have enough strength to endure the hardship of life. So, he represented the depression and desire to quickly die. For him, life in war situation is really worse than death.

The setting

The setting was in frustrating, depressing, smelly, and stuffy trenches like what the title stated.

The movements of the story

This story is absolutely about a young soldier’s boy transformation. From a happy, naive and innocent person, he turns out into a depressed soldier. He was eagerly to end his life, because life is worse than death for him.

The character

The poet used psychoanalytic theory to attract the reader. He used the character of a small boy as an example to gain the reader’s sympathy and to put awareness among the reader about the war happened nowadays.

The structure and tone of the poem

It consists of three stanzas with four lines in each. The rhyme is A A B B. The tone for this poem is sarcastic, mocking and sorrow. We can see the line “You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye…”. Through this line, Sassoon tries to show that general public is unable to understand what war is like. He tries to say that nobody can understand what war is like without personal experience. He also uses the language which is clever in conveying the theme. This poem includes the balance of symbolism, diction and alliteration.

I put my favourite song, sang by talented singer from Philippines an title "A Note to God". She give her all out when singing this song. She expressed her feeling about the world nowadays and tries to convey a message which is what will she wrote to God to end the war if she had the chance.  My favourite quotes in this song are "I'd ask for war to end and for peace to mend this world" and "ends all the bitterness and put some tenderness in our heart". They really make me goosebumps and the lyrics really heart breaking for me. I really like this song, hope you guys enjoy it!!!^^