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Compare And Contrast Two Views Of War

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Compare and contrast essay War is a scandalous topic where peoples’ views differ as to what war is. Some people see it as pure evil and wicked while others think that it is brave and noble of what soldiers do. Looking at poems which had been written by people affected by war help show the messages which are portrayed. The two sets of poems which show different views of war as well as some similarities are “the Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson, “To Lucasta, on Going to the Wars” by Richard Lovelace and “Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen, “The Song of the Mud” by Mary Borden. Both these poets use linguistic devices to convince the reader of their view of what the war is. Tennyson and Lovelace show how war is worthy …show more content…

Owen’s poem vividly depicts the horrors of war and, Borden’s poem describes the soldier's struggle with the horrors of the appearance of the trench mud. The speaker in “Dulce Et Decorum Est” role shifts from being an observer of the gassed soldier to being immediately involved in his suffering, as the soldier “plunges at” the speaker. This shift suggests that the horror of war never leaves someone who has lived through it; even today, the speaker sees the soldier plunging at him. In “The Song of the Mud”, The speaker describes the mud as glistening, golden, beautiful, mysterious, gleaming, and silvery. She compares it to satin and enamel and a crown and ermine. This conflicts with the image of the mud as obscene, filthy, putrid; a slimy nuisance, with voluminous lips and a distended belly. The speaker uses this contrast to show the danger and deadliness of the mud. The “beautiful glistening golden mud” is also the misery of all soldiers and the grave of many. The speaker means that the mud hides the truth about the war zone. You can’t tell just how many men have died, or how horrible or violent their deaths were because the glistening mud covers …show more content…

Lovelace’s diction helps to develop the theme that war requires a passionate commitment from soldiers and can be as consuming as a relationship with a person the poet uses many dictions throughout the poem that suggests going to war such as ‘chaste, mistress, embrace, inconstancy, adore and love’. Likewise, Tennyson’s diction helps to develop the themes that war places soldiers under extreme stress, and soldiers can fight bravely and honorably even if the result of the battle is unsuccessful. In contrast, the word choices in Owen’s poem supports the theme that war is destructive, bitter, and violent, not the romantic efforts praised by those outside of it. Diction that has a strong impact on Borden’s poem is ‘satin, ermine, chic’, or words that have strong negative connotations such as ‘obscene, putrid, monstrous’. Equally important, The Diction in Borden’s poem support the theme that war is indifferent to human life. Words that display The Diction in “The Song of the Mud” are ‘cursed, sludge, haunting, trudge, blood-shod’. Whereas The tone of Lovelace’s poem is romantic and slightly playful along with Tennyson tone, which establishes a serious and respectful tone that also acknowledges the stress and confusion of war. Unlike the tone in the first set of poems, A great example of irony in Owen’s poem is “Ecstasy” (line 9), which usually associated with positive feelings of joy or intense

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