When World War One broke out in 1914 Britain had only a small professional army Essay Example For Students

When World War One broke out in 1914 Britain had only a small professional army Essay When World War One broke out in 1914 Britain had only a small professional army. It needed a large one very quickly. In order to solve this problem the government would introduce conscription in 1916. However, before the introduction of conscription the government would put a tremendous amount of social pressure onto the young men of Britain to volunteer to join the army. The government began a massive recruitment drive, with posters, leaflets, recruitment offices in every town and stirring speeches by government ministers. Not only this many newspapers would include poems written as a means of shaming men into joining the army. For example, the poem Fall In by Harold Begbie would make those who did not join the army feel ashamed. Also, the women would put further pressure on men to join the army. The idea that the women would want the men after they came back from war was common. During this time young the young men of Britain were put under a lot of pressure to join the army. The recruitment campaign was highly successful as by 1916 over 2 million had enlisted. At this time the people of Britain were ignorant and inexperienced about war. To most the war seemed like an adventure or almost like a game. The use of propaganda only served to increase this impression. Government produced propaganda would make people dismiss reality and the truth, instead opting to believe what the government wanted them to believe. Whilst in reality World War One was a highly dangerous and horrific experience. As well as this many young men thought the war would be over by Christmas and that they would be seen as heroes when they defeated the enemy and came home. In hindsight we can see how delusional people were, manipulated into dismissing the truth. Wilfred Owen was one of the most recognised war poets during the war. Owens poems would illustrate the true dangers of war with the focus being on the young men who had been almost forced to join the army. Owens style of writing was in contrast with those of Harold Begbie and Jessie Pope. Begbie and Pope would write poems playing upon the concerns of young men and glorifying the war. It was partially Owens dislike for Pope and Begbie that drove his poems as well as his need to record his first-hand experiences. The poem Fall In by Harold Begbie immediately tries to convince the reader to join the army. The title Fall In seems threatening and acts as a command almost telling the reader to join the army. Furthermore, the opening line of the poem immediately shows the main topic that runs through the poem: What will you lack, sonny, what will you lack Here we learn through the use of the word sonny that the implied reader is a young man, most likely still unsure about signing up. Not only this the repetition of the word sonny throughout creates a sense of threatening insistency. As a rhetorical question the poetic voice manages to make the reader think whilst the repetition of what will you lack further emphasises the question. After the initial rhetorical question managing to grab the readers attention Begbie goes on to prey upon one of their immediate concerns: When the girls line up the street, Shouting their love to the lads come back Here Begbie straight away focuses on one of the main concerns of the implied reader: appearing unmanly in front of women. Begbie is suggesting that by joining the army the implied reader would be instantly recognised as a hero. Not only this the girls would show their love and appreciation for them, revelling in their glory. This image of girls shouting their love would powerfully encourage the implied reader to consider going to war. We can also see Begbies lack of knowledge and ignorance about the true horrors of war as he seems to believe that it would be an advantageous opportunity for young men. Begbie later preys upon different concerns that the implied reader might have: And Englands call is Gods! Here Begbie plays upon the idea of patriotism with his reference to England. With many men joining their respective countries armies Begbie could be suggesting that it would be your duty as a citizen of England to sign up. To further convince the implied reader Begbie mentions that Englands call is Gods. This would indicate that God is with England and therefore by signing up you would be siding with God. Also, the implied reader could interpret this as suggesting that God would be with them throughout the war serving as a protector. Begbie later changes tactics as he tries to connect with the implied reader choosing to use more colloquial language: The pub and the betting odds With the implied reader being a young, inexperienced, somewhat immature young men this use of colloquial language here would relate to them on a personal level. With the mention of a pub and betting odds the implied reader might relate to these socially specific details, consequently making them warm to Begbie. With the introduction of the second stanza in Fall in Begbie adopts a more serious voice: Will you say it was naught to you if France Stood up to her foe or bunked? But where will you look when they give you the glance That tells you they know you funked? The indication here is that those who do not join the army will be betraying their country and fellow citizens. Moreover, the further use of rhetorical questions serves to make the reader ask themselves the question as well as making them feel more involved in the poem. In the penultimate stanza Begbie suggests that there is still time for the implied reader to redeem himself with the announcement: Or say- I was not with the first to go, but I went, thank god, I went? Here it seems that Begbie is assuming the role of the implied reader to further connect with them whilst simultaneously bolstering the impression that they should volunteer. Also, Begbie is communicating the idea that there is still time to prove yourself and volunteer. Moreover, the mention of god again indicates the religious aspect of the war, maybe suggesting that by volunteering you will be siding with God. Finally, in the last stanza Begbie, possibly to serve his own ends, asks the rhetorical question: It is nought to you if your country fall, and right is smashed by wrong? With the use of this rhetorical question Begbie hopes to arouse the readers emotions and immediately rush to volunteer. Begbie was not the only poet who wrote poems encouraging young men to volunteer. Jessie Pope is another poet who wrote poems of this nature. Popes poem Whos for the game? is very similar to Fall in as they both communicate the same message in an attempt to encourage young men to volunteer. The title Whos for the game? gives us a good indication of how Pope views the war. By suggesting that war is little more than a contest we can conclude that Pope lacks knowledge about war and is unaware of the true horrors that occur. It is this thinking that enraged Owen and would influence his later work. Whos for the game? and Fall in are similar in many ways. For instance, like in Fall in there are many rhetorical questions found in Whos for the game? : Whos for the game, the biggest thats played, The red crashing game of a fight, Here Pope uses many references alluding to war as a game. It could be that Pope is attempting to make the war sound more welcoming to further convince the implied reader to volunteer. As well as this the tone throughout Whos for the game? is ve ry upbeat and energised serving to make the reader feel more enthusiastic about the idea of volunteering. Who We Elect, Who They Elect EssayNot only this it intensifies the sense of regret and anger at himself for being influenced by propaganda. It is almost as if war has drained him of everything. In the fourth stanza there seems to be an indirect attack on Pope: After the matches, carried shoulder high. It was after football, when hed drunk a peg. This could be interpreted as an attack on Pope. Here Owen is indicating that this man will never be able to play football again due to his injuries suffered at war. Whereas in Whos for the game? Pope, in an attempt to convince young men to volunteer, compared war to a team game. Furthermore, in Fall in and whos for the game? there was an indication that those you did volunteer would experience a heroic welcome when they returned. However, in Disabled the returning soldier does not receive this response: Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal. Only a solemn man who brought him fruits. Owen is again satirizing Pope and her poem Whos for the game? with the suggestion that he would have been given more praise for scoring a goal than going to war. This is highly ironic since Pope compared war to a game in Whos for the game? As the poem ends Owen gives one final indication of this mans pain: How cold and late it is! Why dont they come And put him into bed? Why dont they come? The repetition here of the question Why dont they come augments his sense of pain and suffering whilst indicating his longing for an end to his nightmarish existence. Owen has cleverly focused on an individual person rather than a faceless mass to make it easier for the audience to sympathise and empathise. Thus, Owen stresses the horrors of war through his description of one mans life after the war. Another of Owens most recognized poems is Dulce et Decorum est which translated means sweet and fitting it is. This title is not meant to be taken seriously as in the poem Owen adopts an angry, bitter tone to talk about the horrors of war. Straight away Owen stresses the horrors of war with his description of these young men: Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through Sludge. Here we learn about the soldiers wretched condition as they return to the Front. The use of similes comparing these soldiers to beggars and hags is very powerful considering they were young men. There is a suggestion that they have been reduced to old weak women. This shows the appalling conditions that soldiers experienced in the war. Owen is trying to communicate to the reader the true effect that war can have on people through his vivid description of these men returning to the front. In continuation of this, Owen carries on to bolster this impression of their hardships: But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots. Here we can see how mentally and physically drained they are as they limped on. Furthermore, they seem to have lost their senses as they are now lame, blind, and deaf. This powerfully communicates their distress and wretched condition. As well as this they are dehumanised with the mention that they are blood-shod. They have now reached a state of pain and suffering that they are no longer recognized as humans. With the introduction of the second stanza Owen focuses on one man who could not get his gas helmet on in time: Gas! Gas! Quickly, boys! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" An ecstasy of fumbling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦And floundring like a man in fire or limeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. Here Owen allows the reader to see through the eyes of a soldier. Consequently we are able to empathise with this soldier on a personal level as we can experience what is happening from the first person. We are seeing the true horrors of war through this one soldiers perspective rather than the ideas presented by such propagandists as Begbie and Pope. The description is very surreal and chaotic due to the powerful visual and aural imagery present. Owen uses a powerful underwater metaphor to compare the soldier succumbing to poison gas with drowning. This metaphor helps the reader to vividly picture the scene consequently making it far more effective. Also, the mention of a green sea suggests the soldiers helplessness and pain as he dies. Moreover, the unforgiving horrors of war can be seen with the mention that he was floundring like a man in fire. This simile indicates the pain he was experiencing as he died and further stresses the horrors of war. In the third stanza Owen looks back from a new perspective at what has just happened to his friend: In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. The commas used here serve as a pause prolonging the sentence making it seem more saddening. Another way of looking at this is that the pauses are meant to be sighs, expressed by Owen as he watches in horrors as his friend dies before him, knowing there is nothing he can do save him. In the fourth stanza Owen attacks those people at home who uphold the wars continuance unaware of its realities: If in some smothering dreams you too could pace à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin; Owen is suggesting here that if those people who are ignorant to the horror of war could experience his own smothering dreams, which replicate in small measure the victims sufferings, then maybe they would change their perceptions. The you whom Owen addresses could imply people in general but it more likely it applies to the propagandist poets who influenced his work. The sufferings that are experienced at war are described in sickening detail by Owen to shock the reader. The verbs writhing and hanging denote an especially virulent kind of pain. Whilst the simile comparing his face to a devils sick of sin indicates that he has somewhat experienced hell on earth in the form of war. Thus we can see how Owen stresses the horrors of war through his vivid description of one mans sufferings at war. Owen ends this poem with a somewhat angered bitter line that represents his attitude to the propagandists: The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro Patria mori. This translates to the old lie: sweet and fitting it is to die for ones country. We can see just how disgusted Owen was by the propagandists in this poem. Therefore, we can see just how Owen stresses the horrors of war through his vivid and descriptive writing about soldiers in the war. The main purpose of Dulce et Decorum Est was to make people aware of the true nature of war. Similarly, Disabled also attempts to communicate the horrors of war. Both these poems were influenced by the works of propagandists such as Begbie and Pope who wrote poems unaware of what war was really like with the intention of manipulating young men into volunteering.