'Jack fell as he'd have wished,' the mother said,
And folded up the letter that she'd read.
'The Colonel writes so nicely.' Something broke
In the tired voice that quavered to a choke.
She half looked up. 'We mothers are so proud
Of our dead soldiers.' Then her face was bowed.
Quietly the Brother Officer went out.
He'd told the poor old dear some gallant lies
That she would nourish all her days, no doubt
For while he coughed and mumbled, her weak eyes
Had shone with gentle triumph, brimmed with joy,
Because he'd been so brave, her glorious boy.
He thought how 'Jack', cold-footed, useless swine,
Had panicked down the trench that night the mine
Went up at Wicked Corner; how he'd tried
To get sent home, and how, at last, he died,
Blown to small bits. And no one seemed to care
Except that lonely woman with white hair.
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The poem is explaining how officers over-exaggerate and twisted the stories of dead soldiers to their mothers and family to keep up moral and hope.
ReplyDeleteSassoon does this by showing the emotions felt by the old women who is proud of her son but sad at the same time; "brimmed with joy, Because he'd been so brave, her glorious boy". Many family members were under the illusion that their sons, brothers and husbands had died valiantly whilst the officers thought they were "cold-footed, useless swine" however they told them that they had contributed greatly to the war effort. The writer changes the rhythm in the poem by using two different rhyme schemes, rhyming couplets and alternate rhyming.
Sassoon makes the reader feel sympathy because you know that the woman has been lied to and many like her would have had the same experience. The poem makes you see the truth and this has a great affect on the reader.
By Group 3 (Georgie Bray, Ashley Layer, Lucy Oliva and Ed Parry)
:D (Are you impressed that we put our names in alphabetical order by last name)
The poem has a great affect on the reader, making you realise the truth behind what happens when a soldier dies and what is told to their family. Many readers will have thought that you are told the truth and that is it but this poem shows you the unknown truth and has a great affect on the reader, even though it could be slightly over exaggerated.
ReplyDeleteThe poem also makes you feel empathy for the old woman because you know the truth and the lies she is being told. This is a clever technique from Sassoon; if she just knew the truth about how her son Jack had died, how he had "panicked down the trench" and how he had tried to "get sent home" and how he just eventually died, you would not feel sympathy for the old woman.
From Ed
The Hero probably lets the feelings and emotions of thousands of families personal tragedies be heard through this specific and passionate example. It gives a voice and understanding to some of the suffering and pain they must have felt after losing loved ones to the war. A great amount of emotion is used to really get the point though, and the technique of enjambement seems to prolong each line, as well as each powerful and sentimental description.
ReplyDeleteFrom Lucy (:
In the poem "The Hero" the rhyming pattern is AABBCC DEDEFF GGHHII. The writer uses rhyming couplets and also some other rhyming patterns. The story is about a man who is scared -like any man would be, that he tries to get out of the firing line and he gets "blown to small bits." This is literally the way he is punished by the enemy whilst he is trying to escape. The poem's first two stanzas are about his mother getting told about his death. A policeman goes to see her and tells her lies that her son was a very brave man and was fighting for his country. She said "Jack fell as he'd have wished" although she believed that he had died defending his country with honor and pride in his heart, he had actually died through his own weakness and fright.
ReplyDelete"Her weak eyes
Shone with gentle triumph, brimmed with joy"
This shows contrast between when she first found out the devastating news of her son's death and now she is trying to look over it in a more positive light and is content as she thought he was being brave and it was what he wanted.
Bex, Tash, Izzie, Jenny, Nor and alix :) group 7 ;)
The poet, Siegfried Sassoon has used enjambement and Caesuras. for example:
ReplyDelete"We mothers are so proud
Of our dead soldiers" This is the main enjambement in the first stanza.
The Caesura is "Blown to small bits." These both give good effects to each stanza and in the enjambement it gives a strong emphasis to the certain point made.
Bex :) Group 7 ;)
In response to Ed's marvellous comment- i agree with the fact that the poem gives a strong effect on the reader by describing the emotional sides of war devastation. The way the mother is made to believe her son died through fighting and standing up for his country is very sad although she seems content and happy with the outcome. "Jack fell, as he'd have wished" This quote tells us that the soldiers mother is proud of her son and is trying to look at his death in a more positive light.
ReplyDeleteTash :) group 7 ;)
hi
ReplyDelete2018 anyone???
ReplyDeletehow does sassoon present attitudes towards the reality of war
ReplyDeletepleas give the answer pleas??????????????????????????????
ReplyDelete