ipl-logo

Stylistic Analysis Of The Poem Staying Alive

1040 Words5 Pages

In this essay I have been asked to choose one of the twelve sections from ‘Staying Alive ‘and discuss why I believe it to be the most effective. It is clear that section 9 ‘War and Peace’ is the most effective. War poetry is harsh and to the point. It is filled with gruesome images and vivid descriptions of war time. The poems in this section will resonate with you for a lifetime. .Most poetry of this genre is based around the topic of World War One and World War Two. But also around other famous wars in history such as the American Civil War and Troubles in Northern Ireland. This poetry contains messages of hatred towards war and towards the idea of war. This section includes poetry of very famous poets who not only were alive during the war but some of whom also …show more content…

This is different to the other poems already mentioned in this essay as it refers to the innocent citizens killed as opposed to the soldiers or upper class ranking officials at the time. A theme throughout the poem is that the first line of each verse contains the person who survives and the second line contains the person of is dead or about to die.
“One man shall wake from terror to his bed.
Five men shall be dead”
This poem has an apparent rhyme scheme. The last word in each line rhymes with the last word in the line directly under it. This lets the reader almost sing through the poem. There is a very nonchalant tone and feel to the poem. The lack of detail in the poem lets the readers imagination create the situation in which the person dies.
“One man shall smile one day and say goodbye.
Two shall be left, two shall be left to die”
The writer could be saying in the poem that war is unpredictable. In wars you never know who will survive or not.
“One man to five. A million men to one
And still they

Show More
Related

Comparison Of Do Not Weep Maiden By Gwendolyn Brooks

220 Words | 1 Pages

In the poem Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind by Stephen Crane, Stephen talks about the aspects of war and the effects it has on people outside of the war. Another poem called the sonnet-ballad by Gwendolyn Brooks, talks about a woman who has just lost her lover do to the war and is asking her mother where happiness is. In both texts, the authors focus on the negative and how cruel war really is. Although the authors focus the the horrific parts of war, Brooks sees beauty in war and how tempting it is. However, Crane only focuses the dreadful and grim parts of war.

Read More

Similarities Between I Was Only 19 And Dulce Et Decorum Est

679 Words | 3 Pages

The poem uses vivid and graphic imagery to depict the gruesome conditions that soldiers face on the battlefield. The first stanza describes soldiers returning to their trenches after being on

Read More

Death Of The Ball Turret Gunner Analysis

844 Words | 4 Pages

This description paints the scenes of the poem as they happen, the powerful connotations of the words battling against each other, and to the grievance of the reader, the negative feelings prevail. This battle illuminates the brutality and fear experienced by soldiers, in WWII, during their final moments on Earth - their fear, sadness, and horrified disgust all hidden between the lines of these two sentences. Foreshadowed by the soldier's machine like tone, the speaker alludes to the fact that he will fight for his life, and

Read More

My Brother Sam Is Dead Quotes

414 Words | 2 Pages

To many people take the toll of war,to many lives have been taken from the toll of war. Families have been ripped apart by the toll of war and the stress that it puts on a family and others that live near it or in it. It has ripped apart famly bonds too. War is a heart smasher in this book My Brother Sam Is Dead.

Read More

In Flanders Field Poem

499 Words | 2 Pages

Though many people die in the fight, but a large number of them survive and the war hasn’t come to the end, so the survivors should keep fighting against the enemies so that they can protect their lands. And the torch which is holding high can give the soldiers the sprit of resilience and lead them to the victory. To sum up, “In Flanders Field” , which aim is to in memory of the soldiers who dedicated themselves for their country, is one of the most infectious poems that writes about the

Read More

Human Condition In Gwen Harwood's Poems Father And Child

527 Words | 3 Pages

The narrator’s changing understanding of the inevitability of death across the two sections of the poem illustrates the dynamic and contrasting nature of the human

Read More

Why Is War Important Dbq

869 Words | 4 Pages

The soldier himself is frightened on why he could not save him which haunts him in his dreams as he says “In all my dreams/ before my helpless sight” is how every time he dreams he sees the soldier and he cannot control it causing him to think of it every night frightening him everyday. Soon he will feel that the dead person wants revenge for his death as the soldier states “he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning”, The dead soldier always comes into the narrator's dream wanting revenge as he chokes him as how he was being choked by the gas clouds and then drowning as how the dead soldier drowned in the green sea of chlorine gas. The horrors of war is what scares the soldier even after the war. At first soldiers imagine themselves as heroes creating them eager and excited they are until they finally get to the front and see no man's land. No man's land is usually bumpy with shell holes and dead trees that are either broken or burnt.

Read More

All Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque

1581 Words | 7 Pages

Before, the mass destruction took place in world war one, many soldiers were taught to believe, like in the poem “The Soldier” that enlisting and fighting in the war for their country, was a noble and patriotic act. However, this “Romantic” perception of war was quickly turned into a sense of disillusionment and brutality as the soldiers were confronted with the difficult truths about the reality of the battlefield which are evident in the text “all quiet on the western front”. In “The Soldier” Brooke continuously implies that it is a noble act to fight for one’s country. This is supported by the line “a pulse in the eternal mind, no less”. The clear use of an illusion “eternal mind” suggests that soldiers who go and fight for their country are immortal in life as they go to heaven if they fall.

Read More

Similarities Between Liam O Flaherty And The Sniper By Thomas Hardy

876 Words | 4 Pages

“War does not determine who is right - only who is left”. This quote was stated by, Bertrand Russell, British author, mathematician, and philosopher. For example, war can tear other people apart from each other. My quote relates to my thesis statement because war can kill other people that might have been in your family or even could've been your friend. In the passage “The Sniper” by Liam, O’Flaherty and the short poem “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy there are many differences and similarities regarding war through the literary devices of plot, irony, and theme.

Read More

They Feed They Lion Analysis

841 Words | 4 Pages

It gives off the a tone to the reader that there is war or that there once was war. Levine’s word usage is what gives the poem its unfortunate tone right from the start. Rather than choosing softer language, he starts his poem with words a phrases like “acids of rage” (Levine 3) and

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

Alan Seeger I Have A Nervous With Death Essay

609 Words | 3 Pages

For soldiers who took part in the First World War, the possibility of dying was real and even probable. Alan Seeger who lived in England at the time, enlisted in the Foreign Legion of France due to his sense of duty and cultural values. Seeger’s idealism contributes to the tone of the poem, in which the poet does not shrink from his rendezvous with death but actually welcomes it. This is evident when he writes in the last stanza, “And I to my pledged word am true, I shall not fail that rendezvous.” (Seeger).

Read More

Henry V: The Role Of Heroism In Anthem For Doomed Youth

509 Words | 3 Pages

Question: The role of heroism has evolved over time. What is the role of heroism? The definition of heroism has changed over the years. In early ages, a hero is defined as somebody that is willing to die for someone or something, but in modern times, it is thought unnecessary to do so.

Read More

Live Like You Were Dying Poem Analysis

1331 Words | 6 Pages

Tim McGraw is an American country singer and song writer. Many of his albums have been on top of music charts, making him the third best-selling country singer. The one song that really sticks out to me the most is “Live Like You Were Dying”. Tim wrote this song for his dad Tug McGraw who died of cancer earlier in the year. (Wikipedia, Tim-McGraw).

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 Stylistic Analysis Of The Poem Staying Alive

Related Topics

Open Document