War in Poem “Who’s for the Game?”
In the first poem ‘Who’s for the Game?’ it is trying to pursue the readers about going to war. War can be considered as an honor rather than a nightmare according to the poem. The poet uses an inspirational and motivating tone to persuade the readers about going to war. For example, the poem ‘Who’s for the Game?’ states that ‘Your country is up to her neck in a fight, And she’s looking and calling for you.’ This shows that when your country is in danger you should willing to fight for it. The poem wants the readers to believe that fighting in a war is an honor rather than a tragedy. Another way the poet shows his perspective is by asking various question about battling in the war. According to ‘Who’s for the Game?’ Jessie Pope asked ‘Who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid?…Who’ll toe the line for the signal to ‘Go!’? Who’ll give his country a hand?’ This quote shows that joining the battle should be out of respect and an obligation for your nation. In the end, the poem ‘Who’s for the Game?’ tries to influence young men to join the war as a duty for their county.
The Message of the Poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”
In comparison, the poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ is opposing the view of about going to war. The poem establishes that war isn’t only dangerous, but fatal. The poet expresses that war has a number of side effects. For instance, ‘But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind;…If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood / Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, / Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud / Of vile, incurable sore…’ This quote shows that going to war can have many painful and permanent outcomes. The poet uses negative phrases and imagery to describe the setting of war. The poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ states in the text that ‘Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod…’ This quote shows that war isn’t only terrifying, but violent. The poem helps readers understand that going to war can have negative effects on the soldiers. Through the tone and mood of the poem readers can realize how going to war can be life changing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both of the poems have different perspectives and tones about the topic of war. The first poem ‘Who’s for the Game?’ expresses that war is a heroic act and it influences young men to join the army to fight for their country when it’s in danger. While in the second poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ conveys that war is harsh and gruesome; that can leave soldiers terrified about the events on the battlefield. Each of the poems tries to persuade the reader to agree with their point of view about war. Despite that the poems have different perspectives, they both show that war can have a different meaning behind it.
