Mametz Wood
Mametz Wood explores the idea that the impact of World War One is
everlasting. Throughout the poem, Owen depicts the Battle of the
Somme using gruesome imagery and the whole poem is a huge
juxtaposition to the pro war propaganda at the time.
“For years afterwards” Sheers begins as if in the middle of telling a story,
he pulls in the reader and stimulates their interest. It displays the horror
of this event as this tragedy still affects us today. Sheers tries to highlight
how human life has carelessly been wasted and how the “wasted young”
were not given acknowledgement for their brave actions.
“A chit of bone, the china plate” displays the fragility of the bones
discovered against nearby machine guns. The anaphora of “ch” also
mimics the sound of a nearby machine gun, which contrasts the fragility
of the men’s remains with the violence of their history.
“They were told to walk, not run” is ironic, as it makes the soldiers easier
targets. This reminiscent of parents with their children and reminds the
reader how young and vulnerable the men were. This may also
reference the lack of respect from the soldier’s commanders due to their
lack of respect for their poor lives. Sheer himself was Welsh, and here
seems to criticise those in higher positions for the loss of the other
Welsh men.
“Even now the Earth stands sentinel” is an interesting role reversal. The
men died trying to keep possession of the land, but now the land keeps
them buried and safe. This conveys the impression that their memory is
protected and has not gone in vain.
The varying line lengths in the poem produce an uneven pace to the
poem, by breaking the neatness of uniformity it resembles the turning
over of the plough and the disruption of the lives of the soldiers in World
Mametz Wood explores the idea that the impact of World War One is
everlasting. Throughout the poem, Owen depicts the Battle of the
Somme using gruesome imagery and the whole poem is a huge
juxtaposition to the pro war propaganda at the time.
“For years afterwards” Sheers begins as if in the middle of telling a story,
he pulls in the reader and stimulates their interest. It displays the horror
of this event as this tragedy still affects us today. Sheers tries to highlight
how human life has carelessly been wasted and how the “wasted young”
were not given acknowledgement for their brave actions.
“A chit of bone, the china plate” displays the fragility of the bones
discovered against nearby machine guns. The anaphora of “ch” also
mimics the sound of a nearby machine gun, which contrasts the fragility
of the men’s remains with the violence of their history.
“They were told to walk, not run” is ironic, as it makes the soldiers easier
targets. This reminiscent of parents with their children and reminds the
reader how young and vulnerable the men were. This may also
reference the lack of respect from the soldier’s commanders due to their
lack of respect for their poor lives. Sheer himself was Welsh, and here
seems to criticise those in higher positions for the loss of the other
Welsh men.
“Even now the Earth stands sentinel” is an interesting role reversal. The
men died trying to keep possession of the land, but now the land keeps
them buried and safe. This conveys the impression that their memory is
protected and has not gone in vain.
The varying line lengths in the poem produce an uneven pace to the
poem, by breaking the neatness of uniformity it resembles the turning
over of the plough and the disruption of the lives of the soldiers in World
