ipl-logo

Andrew Renard's Etched In Memory

765 Words4 Pages

“Schools are like munitions factories and ought to be turning out a constant supply of living materiel,” remarked Reverend Percy Kettlewell, former headmaster of St. Andrew’s College in 1913. The following year his words would be met with action. Many boys enlisted, 125 of them died. Against this traumatic past “Then & Now” by Thomas Crutchely and “Etched in Memory” by Andrew Renard emerge as contemporary considerations of the Great War, by poets from St Andrew’s College. Both poems try to reconcile past trauma and grief with existence in the present. “Then & Now” self-reflexively considers the authenticity of representing the sufferings of the past in contemporary war poetry, whilst “Etched in Memory” considers loss and memorialisation. Both poems convey the limitations of representation or even commemoration as neither fully encompasses the experience of war, or its devastation. In “Then and Now” the speaker is a pupil of St Andrew’s College, this is evident in the reference to the “…clock tower” and “…our 1st XV” (l.34& l.37). However, even in the shared schooling experiences with those who enlisted, the speaker struggles to comprehend the suffering of those before him. This is evident in his use of “we” and “they” in the first …show more content…

In accordance with its form as a Shakespearean sonnet, which is demonstrated by the rhyme scheme and stanza structure, the resolution is presented in the concluding rhyming couplet. A trailing echo is created Through the use of dactylic rhythm in the ending of the couplet, thereby creating connotations of continuation. When read against its title: “Etched in Memory,” an optimistic outlook arises; as memory is not static like “wood” or “stone,” and allows for the dead to live on for as long as we remember (l.1). “Then & Now” concludes with an equally optimistic vision rooted in shared culture and

Show More
Related

Rhetorical Analysis Of Losing The War By Lee Sandlin

995 Words | 4 Pages

All that seems to be remembered is a reverie; a spectacle of valiance and bravery. The older generation —the ones who were there—simply became the collateral damage. The war, in all its infamy, can never be

Read More

Shoe Horn Sonata Analysis

831 Words | 4 Pages

The quote ‘I did not have the power to build a memorial, so i wrote a play instead’ reveals to us John Misto’s view on the forgotten heroes of the war, that the POWs deserve just as much respect as the soldiers do. The play was also written to criticise the British and Australian government actions and how they responded to the POWs “Just keep smiling”. This statement that was sent to the POWs reveal to us how out of touch the government is. The composer engages with the concept of distinctively visual using a powerful image of comradeship, friendship and loyalty through Bridie and Sheila’s interactions.

Read More

Layli Long Soldier Poem Analysis

459 Words | 2 Pages

An example of historical memory can be seen in her piece “38”. In this specific piece she refers back to the history of Wounded Knee, “As already mentioned, thirty-eight Dakota men were subsequently hanged” (pg. 52). Here, the graphic depiction of the Sioux Uprising which resulted in the largest “Legal” execution in U.S. history. By rearranging and erasing language from the U.S.’s “Resolution of Apology,” Long Soldiers turns her oppressor’s words into resistance. A prime example of this is when she breaks down and rr-pieces the words in her poem “(5) I express commitment to reveal in a text the shape of its pounding-” (pg. 93).

Read More

Ted Hughes 'Bayonet Charge' And Wilfred Owen's Exposure

1571 Words | 7 Pages

Both Ted Hughes and Wilfred Owen present war in their poems “Bayonet Charge” and “Exposure”, respectively, as terrifying experiences, repeatedly mentioning the honest pointlessness of the entire ordeal to enhance the futility of the soldiers' deaths. Hughes’ “Bayonet Charge” focuses on one person's emotional struggle with their actions, displaying the disorientating and dehumanising qualities of war. Owen’s “Exposure”, on the other hand, depicts the impacts of war on the protagonists' nation, displaying the monotonous and unending futility of the situation by depicting the fate of soldiers who perished from hypothermia, exposed to the horrific conditions of open trench warfare before dawn. The use of third-person singular pronouns in “Bayonet

Read More

Summary Of A Separate Peace By John Knowles

631 Words | 3 Pages

In the 1900’s, the characters relive memories at Devon High school, an all boy school, in which they attended 15 years ago. The writer John Knowles illustrates and conveys the theme of war on multiple levels onto Gene, Leaper and Finny's emotions on war and how they move along through the novel with enlistment dangling above their head. Not trusting or believing, the characters never fully knew how to feel about the army, and “enlisting”. John Knowles sways the story along the WW2 era, adding in nonfiction details. With adventures, feelings, and a never-ending amount of plot, Knowles takes readers into new heights.

Read More

Language And Tone In Elizabeth Alexander's 'Nineteen'

1190 Words | 5 Pages

“Nineteen”, by Elizabeth Alexander uses language and tone to form a multi-sensory poem about remembering her youth and desire to connect to her past Vietnam vet lover. These aspects of language and tone are embedded in the outer form of the poem, as the author forms an imaginative recreation of her young adult life, which directly impacts the reader to allow for an enjoyable simple read. The elements of language and tone formation ensure the translation of Alexander’s emotions or feelings of her youth for the audience to relate and understand. In the first place, the language within “Nineteen” is casual and not really poetic.

Read More

Bruce Dawe's Poems 'Homecoming And Weapons Training'

1397 Words | 6 Pages

We live in a world where we have to hide to make love, while violence is practiced in broad daylight. John Lennon. Based on his own reading and reflection, Bruce Dawe constructs his attitudes towards war in his poems, Homecoming and Weapons Training, believing it to be lacking sense historically and ultimately futile. By specifically addressing an Australian cultural context, the poet exposes a universal appeal in that the insensitivity and anonymity are common attitudes towards soldiers during war. Dawe clearly expresses his ‘anti-war sentiment’ through his use of language and imagery as he examines the dehumanising aspects of war and its brutal reality.

Read More

What Is The Difference Between The Odyssey And The Best Years Of Our Life

1247 Words | 5 Pages

When faced with war soldiers change, for better or for worse. Modern culture celebrates the glory of patriotic sacrifice. However, this celebration often leaves out the gritty details and trauma of violence behind war and the way it affects people. Homer’s The Odyssey and William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives clearly discuss these details. Both debate the long-awaited return of warriors that went off to fight a war and the way the experience changes the protagonists.

Read More

Otto Dix's Impact On The Great War

1019 Words | 5 Pages

The Ironic Impact of Birth and Death from The Great War The Great War is one of the most influential manifestations that impacted the modern world. A period of black and red, symbolisms for death and blood respectively, paints the canvas of the soldiers who fought in the war. Furthermore, soldiers on both sides of the Western Front conveyed their pain and sorrow through expressions like paintings and poems. Memorials such as WWI cemeteries also express the bravery of the soldiers that died on the battlefront.

Read More

Owl Creek Bridge Romanticism

603 Words | 3 Pages

Through Farquhar, Bierce shows how soldiers on both sides were merciless in their acts, a fact that would never be mentioned if Romantic writings were all that remained from this era. Fast forward several decades, World War Two has consumed the planet, and officers are just as cruel as they were in the Civil War. “Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” by Randall Jarrell, announces, through the form of a poem, the callousness of the military in WWII. A man thinks he is safe under the protection of the State, but the poem tells that, “When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.” (“Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” by Randall Jarrell).

Read More

Theme Of Innocence In All Quiet On The Western Front

624 Words | 3 Pages

In Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front, poetry, and visual art, the theme of loss of innocence is uncovered. In “Piano After War”, Gwendolyn Brooks exposed the theme of loss of innocence. Revealing the details of his experiences after being on the front, the narrator describes the trouble he has had appreciating the simple and beautiful things life has to offer when suddenly “a cry of bitter dead men who will never attend a gentle maker of musical joy”(Gwendolyn 11-12). Gwendolyn shows the struggle of listening to the piano when he suddenly is thinking back to memories on the front.

Read More

Dulce Et Decorum Est Analysis

993 Words | 4 Pages

Both Dulce et Decorum Est and Mametz Wood present the incompetent results of war. Dulce et Decorum Est indicates the horrible facts and deaths in war. Moreover, Mametz Wood highlights how precious life is and how easily it can be lost as a result of battle. In this poem “Dulce et decorum Est”, Owen portrays the deadly effects of conflict through the use of metaphor: “as under a green sea, I saw him drowning”. Here, he describes the pain of the gas attack.

Read More

Differences And Diction In Borden And Owen's Poetry

964 Words | 4 Pages

Comparative Essay How can different perceptions about one topic be expressed in poetry? The main theme that the two sets of poems convey is war, but it’s expressed in different point of views through the use of diction that builds tone. The tones of these poems play a big role in conveying the differences between the different eras that these poems are written in, and shows how societies have changed from the Victorian era till the time of World War I. The diction and tone in Borden and Owen’s poems is so much different than the diction and tone in Lovelace and Tennyson’s poems due to different perspectives and point of views. In all four poems the main idea is war, but each set conveys a perspective of war, a positive perspective

Read More

Funeral Blues And Remember Analysis

1774 Words | 8 Pages

The term “remember” runs, like a refrain throughout the sonnet. However, its power seems to decrease through the poem, rather as if the voice and memory of the speaker is fading from life. The word “remember” is repeated six times within the poem, which expresses the desire of a speaker whose hope is that her lover, will keep her memory alive beyond death. The repeated use of “remember” and “remember me” indicate the strength of the speaker’s desire to not be forgotten, although this forceful plea is relaxed at the end of the poem when the speaker acknowledges that the happiness of her beloved is ultimately the most important thing. This is the general message of the poem, the happiness of others are ultimately more important than keeping the memory of a loved one alive as it will inevitably pain you too much to do.

Read More

Analysis Of Disabled And The Bright Lights Of Sarajevo

982 Words | 4 Pages

In the poems “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen and “The Bright Lights of Sarajevo” by Tony Harrison, both poems present the truths of war. However, both differ in terms of setting and contrast that help depicts the similarities between their theme. Disabled takes place within World War I as Owen vividly describes the subject’s amputation, but the poem is centered around the subject’s adjustment to civilian life after war. In The Bright Lights of Sarajevo although Harrison discusses the consequences of partaking in war in the town, he illustrates the way in which life goes on regardless the horrific impact. Through use of setting and contrast, both poets contribute to presenting the theme of the realities of war.

Read More

More about Andrew Renard's Etched In Memory

Related Topics

Open Document