War Poetry

Hello, I am Himanshi Parmar, here writing a blog on general analysis of War poetry, comparison of the war poems entitled "The Fear" and "The soldier". Comparison of writing style of chosen war poets. I am writing this answers as a part of thinking activity or bridge course, given as a part of academic work. I hope my blog will be helpful to you!

1) What is your understanding of War Poetry?

Generally, war poetry is a poetry related to war or it's subject is war. This kind of poems are mainly written by Soldiers to express their emotions like frustration, sadness, anger, nervousness, fear, etc. Along with soldiers, sometimes, nurses and doctors are also used to write war poetry. We can say that, war poetry is something which is written by the people who have seen what really happens on battlefield with their own eyes and then write their experience through the form of poetry.

 Since the time of Greek, people used to write war poems. But during the first world war, the war poetry came out as a one seperate gener. Hundreds of soldiers used to write poem about their own experience of war and people used to read it with full intrest and this how this gener become popular. Main idea we find of this kind of poems is about a "Anti - War". This kind of poems are written on a subjects like, Pity, compassion, humanity, truthfulness, innocence, peace, guilt, identity, patriotism, death, desires, separation etc. 

2.) Note down the difference of all the War Poets.

Wilfred Owen :- Horror of trench, gas warfare, loss of faith, fear of death. 

Rupert Brooke :- Patriotism, Unbroken Glory.

Wilfrid Wilson Gibson :- Guilt, Madness, death, Injury, sense of identity.

Siegfried Sassoon :- death, Horror, sympathy for soldiers, Religious Authority.

Ivor Gurney :- Grueling Monotony of day - to - day military life., Religious authority.

3.) Compare any two poems with reference to the subject, style of writing and patriotism.

              1] The fear 

About the poet :- 

Wilfred Owen Full name of Wilfred Owen is Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC. He was a great English poet along with soldier. He was one of the most important poet of World War one. Wrote most of the works based on his personal experience. His works like, Dulce et Decorum est, Strange meeting, Anthem for Doomed youth, Futility, Spring Offensive etc. 

Mainly, Wilfred Owen is known for his Verse, which are written on a subject of horror and trench and gas warfare. He was also inspired by many poets like, William Butler Yeats, Keats and Shelley. Owen wrote poem about his personal experience with the combination of romantic notion , which made his poem sympathetic. Which make his writing different than other war poets. Among his all poems, only five are published during his life time.

Subject of poem :- 

 The fear is very short eight line poem, the poem is about a soldier. Who is challenging death. And refuse the fear of death. As poet write that,

"I do not fear to die".

Then he said that, I am standing underneath the sky to meet death and to fight with it face to face. This shows his courage. And and strong desire to die for country. As he wrote, 

" Neath the open sky, 

To meet death in the fight,

Face to face, upright."

Then he further wrote about the pain of death. When will the soldier creep In the dark valley, for whom here poet use the word "Hole", and then he will tremble, get cold with dread, and then maybe he wakeup dead. Even if his death will might be painful,he will not feel the pain, they will might Die, but they will happy at last that they die for their nation. The death will be satisfactory for them. This how the poem sing a song of patrimony. Last line indicate this, 

"But when at last we creep,

Into a hole to sleep,

I tremble, cold with dread,

Lest I wake up dead."

Style of writing :- 

"The fear" is very short poem divided into OCTAVE, rhyme scheme of the poem is AABBCCDD. Central theme of the poem is Courage, Patriotism, Fearlessness, and War effects. 

In this poem, poet shows his deep love for his nation, and for that his is ready to die for his nation. He challanges to death which show his courage and fearlessness. The poem written with the indication of future. The poem is one of the shortest poem, but it gives a great message of patriotism, courage, and destroy the fear of death.

Patriotism :-

In this poem, we find strong fragment of patriotism. It is not about just a poet, but it also about all the soldiers who are sacrificing their life for their nation. For them nation come first then their selves, family, their desires, everything come after the nation. And the shadow of this patriotism, we find in the poem in which poet challange death and says that he will die proudly for the nation. The one who sacrifice his invaluable life, is anything greater than this? The entire poem is blossoming with the fragment of Patriotism.

2] The Soldier by Rupert Brooke :- 

About the poet:- 

Rupert Brooke was a most handsome English poet of the 18th century. He was known for his idealistic war Sonnets, which wrote during the first world war. W.b.yeats describe him as "The handsomest young man in England." Main Themes of his poems are love, nature, death, immortality, patriotism etc. His famous poems are,

1) The Soldier

2) The great Lover

3) The death

4) Heave

5) The Old Vicarage, Grantchester. 

Subject of the poem :- 

   This poem is a command of poet to everyone. He indicates that if I should die, thik only this of me, and shows his strong desire of dying in his motherland only. He says that, even if I die in any alien land, the corner where I will buried, think that is for ever England.

   He use the word rich earth and richer dust for England, which shows his deep love towards England. He wrote that,

"In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,..."

Here, poet sing a song of England and praising England. He give description of his body which made up by England and breathing English air. He says that, England give him a proper place to grow in a best way, gave him a flowers to love, and gave him a way to roam. In short, poet get everything from England, which he wants. And he is satisfied and happy for what England gave him. So he wrote that, I have a body of England's and I am breathing English air. Even if I am not in England and fighting in any other foreign land.

He further praise England by saying that, he was bath in Rivers, blest by suns of home, and that removes all evil sheds of his heart. He remember in his eternal mind, he remember her sights and sounds, happy dreams, laughter, friends, gentleness, and the peacefulness of heart. And in the last line.he consider that at last where he is buried it becomes English heaven.because he himself carry England within him.

"And laughter, learnt of 

Friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace,

Under an English Heaven."

Here, poet might be in a fight of any other country and he recalling his memories and time which he spent in England. And missing his motherland.

 Here is the video of this poem recitation.

Style of writing :- 

The soldier is well known Sonnet of Rupert Brooke, The poem written in Iambic pentameter, divided into an octave and sestet. The Octave rhymed after the Shakespearean or Elizabethan. Rhymed as ABABCDCD. While sestet follows the Petrarchan or Italian rhyme, EFGEFG.

The poem was published in 1915, with the title of "1914 and other poems". The poem includes the theme of love, death, separation, patriotism, sacrifice etc.

Patriotism :- 

 

This poem is also about patriotism of the poet, similar as we see in The fear. But we find difference also. In The fear, poet sing a song of his own patriotic feeling, and his desire of dying for country, while here in The Solder, poet sing a song of England and his love for England. So subject wise both the poems are different. Here poet exaggerate his love for England by saying that, 

"That there's some corner of foreign field,

That is for ever England."

But this lines also shows his deep love towards his nation. He also mentioned that,

"A body of England's, breathing English air,"

In which he Indicates that, even if I am in alien land, my body is of forever England, and what I am breathing is English air. Which shows that, for him, there is nothing more than England, even if he die in foreign land, the corner where he buried become forever England. Again just like the poem, "The fear", we find strong fragment of patriotism here.

4.) Do you find any such regional poem/movies/web series/songs which can be compared to any one of the poems given here. Also, give a proper explanation of the similarity. 

I want to compare the Bollywood song, Aisa des hai mera with The Soldier poem by Rupert Brooke.

Both the songs are about praising of motherland. Let me here compare both.

1] Aisa des hai mera :-

ओ.. अंबर हेठाँ धरती वसदी ऐथे हर रुत हँसदी हो.. 

किन्ना सोणा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा

 किन्ना सोणा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा 

धरती सुनहरी अंबर नीला हो.. 

धरती सुनहरी अंबर नीला 

हर मौसम रंगीला 

ऐसा देश है मेरा हो.. ऐसा देश है मेरा 

ऐसा देश है मेरा हाँ.. ऐसा देश है मेरा 

बोल पपीहा कोयल गाए...

बोल पपीहा कोयल गाए 

सावन घिर घिर आये

 ऐसा देश है मेरा हो.. ऐसा देश है मेरा 

ऐसा देश है मेरा हाँ.. ऐसा देश है मेरा 

 कौए ते का बोले ओये चिट्ठी मेरे माहिए दी

 विच आने दा बिना बोले ओये चिट्ठी मेरे माहिए दी

 गेंहू के खेतों में कंघी जो करे हवाएं

 रंग-बिरंगी कितनी चुनरियाँ उड़-उड़ जाएं 

पनघट पर पनहारन जब गगरी भरने आये 

मधुर-मधुर तानों में कहीं बंसी कोई बजाए

 लो सुन लो क़दम-क़दम पे है मिल जानी.. 

क़दम-क़दम पे है मिल जानी

 कोई प्रेम कहानी

 ऐसा देश है मेरा हो.. ऐसा देश है मेरा 

ऐसा देश है मेरा हाँ.. ऐसा देश है मेरा

हो....हो....हो....

ओ मेरी जुगनी दे ताके पक्के जुगनी ओस दे मुँह तो फब्बे

जीनू साड इश्कदी लग्गे ओये सांई मेरे आ जुगनी

वीर मेरे आ जुगनी कैंदी ए ओ नाम सांई का लैंदी एoh

ओह दिल कद लिता ई जिंद मेरिए

 बाप के कंधे चढ़ के जहाँ बच्चे देखे मेले

मेलों में नट के तमाशे कुल्फ़ी के चाट के ठेले

कहीं मिलती मीठी गोली कहीं चूरन की है पुड़िया

भोले-भोले बच्चे हैं जैसे गुड्डे और गुड़िया

 और इनको रोज़ सुनाये दादी नानी हो..

रोज़ सुनाये दादी नानी इक परियों की कहानी

 ऐसा देश है मेरा हो.. ऐसा देश है मेरा 

ऐसा देश है मेरा हाँ.. ऐसा देश है मेरा

  

सदके सदके जांदी है मुटियारे नि कंदा चुभा फिर पैर बांकी नारे नि

ओये नि अडिये कंदा चुभा फिर पैर बांकी नारे नि

कौन कड़े तेरा कान्दरा मुटियारे नि कौन सहे तेरी पीड बांकिये नारे नि

 ओये नि अडिये कौन सहे तेरी पीड बांकिये नारे नि

हो.. हो... हो... हो...हो... हो.. हो..

मेरे देश में मेहमानों को भगवान कहा जाता है

वो यहीं का हो जाता है जो कहीं से भी आता है आ......

तेरे देश को मैंने देखा तेरे देश को मैंने जाना आ......

 तेरे देश को मैंने देखा तेरे देश को मैंने जाना

 

जाने क्यूँ ये लगता है मुझको जाना पहचाना

यहाँ भी वही शाम है वही सवेरा ओ..

 वही शाम है वही सवेरा ऐसा ही देश है मेरा

जैसा देश है तेरा वैसा देश है तेरा हाँ.. जैसा देश है तेरा

ऐसा देश है मेरा हो.. जैसा देश है तेरा

ऐसा देश है मेरा हाँ.. जैसा देश है तेरा

 ऐसा देश है मेरा हो जैसा देश है मेरा

Poem The Soldier :-

If I should die, think only this of me:

      That there’s some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England. There shall be

      In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

      Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;

A body of England’s, breathing English air,

      Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

      A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

            Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

      And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

            In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Comparison :-

Asa desh banade is a hindi, Bollywood song, From the movie Veer zara (2004). The song was sung by Lata Mangeshkar, udit narayan, prita mazmudar, Gurudas maan. The film start with Punjabi lines,

ओ.. अंबर हेठाँ धरती वसदी ऐथे हर रुत हँसदी हो.. 

किन्ना सोणा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा

 किन्ना सोणा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा देश है मेरा| which indicate that the song is sung to praise a nation. Similarly we find a lines of The soldier, "under an English heaven." Wich we find that, here also poet praising the England, while in song poet praising India.

In song poet give some descriptions of beauty of women, chirping birds, greenery of Farms, great love stories of people, relationships of father and son, respect for guest, and a fertile soil etc. And says that this all live within the heart of every Indian as a beautiful image. Similarly in The Soldier, The poet shows the image of heavenly England which he carries in within his heart. So that how also the poem is similar to song. And also we find strong patriotism in both the writings, respect for nation, dedication for nation as well as faith in nation.

This how i found both the song Asa desh banade and the poem The soldier similar. 

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