||War is a patriotic act where one seeks the determination to lead one's country. It can be considered noble, cruel, inhumane and make an individual a hero or a criminal. It affects everyone in a society, hoping that their loved one is safe, whether they are fighting in the trenches or waiting at home. This has led to people suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Two poems from war literature “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen and “Facing it” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the different perspectives of the authors will be presented. Owen describes war as a battlefield of horror not to be experienced and the glorious feeling of fighting for your country. Komunyakaa, on the other hand, shows an African American serving in the Vietnam War and visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The poets' choice of diction, the battlefield setting, and the various uses of poetic devices create the desired effect. Owen presents us with a sarcastic take on the idea of being honorable by sacrificing yourself for your country and backs it up with plenty of horrific imagery. It is a war sonnet that captures the feelings of the survivors towards those who lost their lives during the war. The use of a sonnet creates a sense of intensity in his poem, brevity and depicts the nature of death on a battlefield. Additionally, Owen uses the rhyme scheme “ababcdcdeffegg” to show the strong division between the lines. Choosing a sonnet allows Owen to convey his message effectively and remain emotional to keep readers interested. His tone in the poem is somber and invites the reader to ponder the question at the beginning of the poem: “What bells for those who die like cattle” (1). Their deaths are significant compared to those of livestock and they occur en masse. This leads the reader to consider the...... middle of paper...... The wall represents an unshakable oxymoron and holds back the spirits of the dead. The imagery of: “the names glitter on a woman's blouse but when she walks away, the names stay on the wall” shows the names trying to escape the confines of the granite (19-21). “In the black mirror, a woman tries to erase names: no, she brushes a boy's hair” (29-31). We see the poet's urgency to escape and we hope for fewer monuments on the wall. The use of devices enhances the effects of the poem. In conclusion, both poets show their experiences of the war and its effects on them. Owen presents the poem within a descriptive framework of war while Komunyakaa recalls the terrible memories that haunted him throughout his life. These poems share the same idea of loss and helplessness. Komunyakaa's poem is more about life, while Owen's poem is associated with death and the struggle for honor..

Essay / ||War is a patriotic act where one seeks the determination to lead one's country. It can be considered noble, cruel, inhumane and make an individual a hero or a criminal. It affects everyone in a society, hoping that their loved one is safe, whether they are fighting in the trenches or waiting at home. This has led to people suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Two poems from war literature “Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen and “Facing it” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the different perspectives of the authors will be presented. Owen describes war as a battlefield of horror not to be experienced and the glorious feeling of fighting for your country. Komunyakaa, on the other hand, shows an African American serving in the Vietnam War and visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The poets' choice of diction, the battlefield setting, and the various uses of poetic devices create the desired effect. Owen presents us with a sarcastic take on the idea of being honorable by sacrificing yourself for your country and backs it up with plenty of horrific imagery. It is a war sonnet that captures the feelings of the survivors towards those who lost their lives during the war. The use of a sonnet creates a sense of intensity in his poem, brevity and depicts the nature of death on a battlefield. Additionally, Owen uses the rhyme scheme “ababcdcdeffegg” to show the strong division between the lines. Choosing a sonnet allows Owen to convey his message effectively and remain emotional to keep readers interested. His tone in the poem is somber and invites the reader to ponder the question at the beginning of the poem: “What bells for those who die like cattle” (1). Their deaths are significant compared to those of livestock and they occur en masse. This leads the reader to consider the...... middle of paper...... The wall represents an unshakable oxymoron and holds back the spirits of the dead. The imagery of: “the names glitter on a woman's blouse but when she walks away, the names stay on the wall” shows the names trying to escape the confines of the granite (19-21). “In the black mirror, a woman tries to erase names: no, she brushes a boy's hair” (29-31). We see the poet's urgency to escape and we hope for fewer monuments on the wall. The use of devices enhances the effects of the poem. In conclusion, both poets show their experiences of the war and its effects on them. Owen presents the poem within a descriptive framework of war while Komunyakaa recalls the terrible memories that haunted him throughout his life. These poems share the same idea of loss and helplessness. Komunyakaa's poem is more about life, while Owen's poem is associated with death and the struggle for honor..

Navigation

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next »

Get In Touch