First World War and the Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

First World War and the Poetry - Essay ExampleThe poets of this period reacted in a number of ways to the state of war. Some of their poems transmit directly with war experiences. They spoke about their fortitude and the horny trauma that they suffered. Some addressed the futility and horrors of the war while some expressed the release of loved ones.The woks of poets equivalent Edward Thomas Isaac Rosenberg, and Wilfred Owen illustrate the horrors of the war in great detail. Having a first hand experience of the war as sol yieldrs, these writers understood the meaninglessness of the war. They realized that other than destruction there is nothing to be gained from the war. They show the same in their poesy.In Edward Thomas poetry titled The Owl, the poet illustrates the wretchedness of the aftermath of a war. The soldier is tired, empty and needs to rest after surviving the war. After having food at the inn, the soldier lays down to rest. that the memories of the war haunt him and he becomes restless. He realizes that war did not bring anything other than destruction and loss of lives of fellow human beings. This agitation is further heightened by the cry of the owlThe cry of the owl embodies the tribulation of all the soldiers who lost their lives. The owl seems to be lamenting the death of those who lost their lives. The soldiers awareness of their deprivation awakens a signified of remorse in himAnother of his poems titled The Rain, illustrates how the war can damage ones sense of worth. mental picture solitary amongst the groundless bodies that are lying all around, he experiences a void which can never be filled. He is preoccupied with death which he knows is imminentRemembering again that I shall die (Jon Silkin 91).The deaths have hardened him. There is no love in him. He ishelpless among the living and the dead (Jon Silkin 91).He does not feel any pity for the dead. His life as a soldier makes him cynical. He considers death to be a blessed co ndition rather than be alive with a sense of such worthlessnessIf love it be towards what is perfect and/ Cannot, the tempest tells me, disappoint(Jon Silkin 91).Another poet who illustrated the horrors of war is Isaac Rosenberg. His poems deal with the sufferings of the soldiers. He looks at the war from the view point of a soldier.Rosenberg painted what he saw and experienced his poetry digested the colors of light/shade and the contrasts of night and day of the battlefield landscapes he constructedin his poems. These painted poems also contain a philosophizing about life andcivilization. (Trevor Tasker).Isaac Rosenbergs poem Returning, We Hear the Larks shows a soldiers preoccupation with death