Comparative Essay between the poems For the Fallen and I Was Only Nineteen, Poetry, College Term Papers.com


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Comparative Essay between the poems For the Fallen and I Was Only Nineteen

Comparative Essay between the poems For the Fallen and I Was Only Nineteen In today's modern world, the use of poetry to communicate and express oneself has become quite rare. One of the main reasons is due to the fact that with such an old style of writing, it is very often hard to understand properly. poetry is indeed difficult to read and hard to understand, but given time, it is a rewarding challenge. Poetry is not only written verse but is used in songs as well. Taken the time to listen to the words of modern songs, you will realise that the lyrics of the song are actually a poem linking modern day music to poetry. To help Year Twelve students that are studying poetry appreciate it's value, this pamphlet's aim is to discuss a classic poem and a modern song lyric to show that even poetry written many years ago can still be relevant to people and lyrics today. By reading this may you gain a greater knowledge and understanding of poetry in general, and not just the two discussed further on. The poem I have chosen is “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon. Certain stanzas from it are often quoted at Anzac Day ceremonies each year. The lyric chosen is also on the theme of war, and is titled “I was only Nineteen”, written by John Schumann. While the common setting is war, there are also other underlying themes that link both pieces of writing, such as loss of life, and alienation… 1 Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal. The sixth battalion was the next to your and it was me who drew the card. We did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left. 5 And Townsville lined the footpaths as we marched down to the quay. This clipping from the paper shows us young and strong and clean. And there’s me in my slouch hat with my S.L.R. and greens. 9 From Vung Tau riding Chinooks to the dust at Nui dat, I’d been in and out of choppers now for months we made our tents a home, VB, and pinups on the lockers, and an Asian orange sunset through the scrub. 13 And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? And night-time’s just a jungle dark and a barking M-16? And whats this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means? God help me, I was only nineteen. 17 After a four week operation, when each step can mean your last one on two legs But you wouldn’t let your mates down ‘til they had you dusted off, so you closed your eyes and thought about something else. 21 Then someone yelled out “Contact!”, and the bloke behind me swore. We hooked in there for hours, then a god-almighty roar. Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon. God help me, he was going home in June. 25 I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel On a thirty-six hour rec. leave in Bing Tau. And I can still hear Frankie, lying screamimg in the jungle, ‘Till the morphine came and killed the bloody row. 29 And the Anzac legends didn’t mention mud and blood and teaars. And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real. I caught some pieces in my back that I didn’t even feel. God help me, I was only nineteen. 33 And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet? And what’s this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what is means? God help me, I was only nineteen. 1 With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, 5 Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres, There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears. 9 They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; They fell with their faces to the foe. 13 They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning 17 They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; 21 But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the Night; 25 As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain. In order to show you how a poem may be read in several different ways, first let us consider “I was only Nineteen” by John Schumann. Written as a ballad, it tells the depressing story of a boy’s experiences in the Vietnam War. The main theme of the lyric is about war, and the obvious futility. However, the personal level in which it is presented shows many more emotions which are common in both poems. One of the most common is coping with loss. 6 This clipping form the paper shows us young and strong and clean 7And there’s me in my slouch hat with my S.L.R. and greens The previous lines are a perfect example of the loss of innocence. Once strong and clean boys, filled with youthful optimism. It is a neive attitude that Schumann starts off with, describing himself as a happy boy with a proud family, filled with the spirit of adventure: 11we made our tents a home, VB, and pinups on the lockers 12and an Asian orange sunset through the scrub. It is in the fifth stanza though, that the lyric becomes serious, the change in speech also relating to the change in the character’s perception of the war. It is in his first real battle that the full force of the war is felt, and he starts becoming pessimistic about his chances for survival. It also describes to a certain extent, the psychological warfare that each soldier had to endure: (17)”A four week operation, where any step could mean your last one on two legs with all innocence now drained away, the character is dealt yet another blow, when his friend “Frankie” walks on a land mine and gets fatally wounded. However, it is entirely possible for the name “Frankie”- a name stereotypical of the Australia male – to be merely a symbol of all the friends of the character that have died in the war, much in the same way that the enemy was collectively referred to as “Charlie”. 23And Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon 24God help me, he was going home in June Line twenty-three is mainly about the expression of loss told also with a great deal of irony, in that mankind’s greatest achievement occurred on the same day that its greatest atrocities were occurring. It could also be seen as the character’s “last straw” as he tries to understand how humanity can be so cruel, yet so creative. Lastly, the remainder of the lyric relates to the legacy that is left on the battered man: 33And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? 34And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet? 35And what’s this rash that comes and goes can you tell me what it means? Of course, this is not the only way the poem may be read. One of the themes the author John Schumann also puts forward is alienation. Whether it be from friends, family, or even yourself, the theme runs strong throughout the entire lyric. Often times, it mentions the need to detach yourself from the horrors of whats going on around you, and how it haunts you for many years afterward. It is proven that most soldiers who go war come back with a changed attitude, this fact being expressed constantly: 29And the Anzac legend didn’t mention mud and blood and tears 30And the stories that my father told me never seemed quite real 31I caught some pieces in my back that I didn’t even feel The character also seems to feel alienated even after he has returned home. The psychological trauma that he has been through has caused him to have flashbacks, triggered even by such harmless occurrences as a news helicopter flying overhead, and walking outside in the dark. The fact that he can’t relate any of his experiences to any of his family of friends alienates him even further. Similarily, the author of the poem “For the Fallen”, Laurence Binyon, has also expressed the feeling of loss and alienation that comes along with war as he writes about those who fought in the Gallipoli campaign. Not only the alienation of soldiers, but the families who have suffered from their deaths: 17They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; 18They sit no more at familiar tables of home As you can see, upon looking at both pieces of writing from a different angle, there is always the opportunity for different interpretations. It is certain that a deeper analysis will give even more possible themes and common topics. Now that you have seen how each of these can be read in more than one way, hopefully you can read other pieces of poetry, attain different meanings for them and have greater love and knowledge for poetry in general � Bibliography:

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