America I: Blindness

In the poems ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson and ‘Exposure’ by Wilfried Owen, both poets incorporate ideas of patriotism to convey a message about the futility of war. This is revealed in many similar and different ways:

Thomas Paine, a former writer, speaker, and soldier during the Revolutionary War, changed history by delivering a speech to the troops of General George Washington before the crossing of the Delaware River. The Crisis, given by a soldier himself, helped boost the moral of the war weary soldiers during the Revolutionary war. Thomas Paine also decided to mention that these men were not the summer soldiers in one of his the lines presented as “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country.” This line describes how other soldiers did not show up to battle when his country needed him most. A soldier who is apart of winning times is happy to fight, unlike the soldier who is ready to succeed after endless strings of lost battles. Overall, the author uses the techniques of establishing himself with credit,

Lowell believed that America was no longer using morality as its guide, but instead was being guided by poorly concealed self-interest. According to a critic of Lowell’s, “He believed that America had lost sight of the common good. Increasingly divided into high and low, the populace seemed, to his mind, no longer willing to distinguish individual self-interest from civic virtue” (Bell 131). As a result of the strong sentiments the author displays in this poem, the reader might feel repulsed at those who put themselves and what they perceive to be best for their country above

To the world, America is seen as one of the greatest nations in the world. Some may even consider it to be the greatest. “Land of the pilgrims and so forth” (Cummings 667). Symbolism is represented in the poem “next to of course god america i” by the way E.E. Cummings uses the land of the pilgrims to represent the countries roots, the heroic happy dead to represent the soldiers that have died for this country to ensure liberty to all that partake of this land, and by the way he uses the roaring slaughter to symbolise war and battle. In this essay, I will be discussing the ways the words used in this poem help to create a symbol that the reader is able to comprehend and I will discuss some possible meanings behind each of

“It is sweet and honorable to die for one’s country” (Horace). Although many American’s believe this statement to be true, Wilfred Owen disputes it in his poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”. Owen uses an oppressed and fearful but accusatory tone along with similes, imagery, rhythm, and diction to show his disapproval of the war. With the diction and rhythm used in the story of a gas attack paired with figurative language, Owen brings his audience into the war with him and proves that it is anything but sweet to die for one’s country.

In war ,many terrible tragedies occur, leaving many people scarred and in grief and who can never forget the nightmare of war.This paper will discuss“ In, Flanders fields by John Mccrae’s,Dulce et Decorum EST by Wilfred Owen and I sing of Olaf glad and big by ee cummings.This paper will be discussing the different points of views that poets have about war and how it shapes our own opinion ,of it because none of us have experienced war firsthand and have only heard about the nightmare from those who have survived and lived to tell us their story.

This verse explores the anonymity of the soldiers, who were nameless in their sacrifice to fight in the war. However, the “breath of the wet sea” eventually washes the signature away. The rain is indicative of the progressions of human life, illustrating how the anonymity of the names will allow them to be forgotten, and the gravity of the situation to be ignored. The fifth and final stanza explores the irrelevance of the deceased soldiers. The final line of the poem suggests that although the soldiers lost their lives, their journey is not over as they are “enlisted at the front”.

In the book All Quiet on the Western Front, Alliteration is used to connect the ideas together into a central theme of how the protagonists lives’ could’ve been if they weren’t in the war. Alliteration was used when the protagonist is on sentry duty at night on the front lines and he “stand[s] there and wonder[s] whether, when [he] is twenty, [if he] shall experience the bewildering emotions of love ”(Remarque 119). This quote helps tie together the idea that he has not experience life as an adult since he has been in the war this entire time, he begins to not want to fight in the war any longer and wants to go home. The author uses this technique to create a rhyme scheme in the sentence and to connect this related ideas. (158

Written in the first half of the 20th century, “Let America Be America” is a poem that documents and responds to the oppressed state of the United States, in both the past and present. The poem is a plea for a return to the original principles of freedom that our country has seemingly forgotten. Additionally, the speaker sees America as the broken home to oppressed people who have lost sight of the ultimate goal of freedom and happiness. Although America is often perceived as the “land of the free,” Langston Hughes’s poem contradicts this ideology by not only painting a vivid picture of oppression in America but also by providing a desperate hope for the future.

Patriotism is worldwide and the notion that America is a city on a hill and above all others is illogical. Fredrick Douglass stated that America’s founding fathers “loved their country better than their own private interests” and “staked their

Since the emergence of written history, many fables regarding war have encompassed a significant portion of prosodic literature. Two of the foremost war poets of the 19th and 20th century—Emily Dickinson and Rupert Brooke—have both written about profound implications of war on society and also upon the human spirit albeit in two very different styles. The book, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, theorizes through Allie, that Emily Dickinson was indubitably the superior war poet. Furthermore, when we analyze their works as well, we realize the invariable fact that Dickinson’s work delves into war with a much more holistic approach as well. She not only honours the soldiers for their valiant efforts, but also deftly weaves notions of liberty and civilian duty in regards to war as well as compared to Rupert Brooke who carried a romanticized imagery of martyrs within his poetry. In summation, Emily Dickinson is a superior war poet for her incisive analysis of death, and human nature in correspondence to war as compared to the patriotic salvos of Rupert Brooke’s poetry.

1 2-3 “glory...swords” Glory is earned through fighting and killing, but not in ours 2 3 “Swinging mighty swords” Does alliteration here mean emphasis on war? 3 4-6 “slaves…” Contrast with our values, but heroes don't make slaves they free them. 4 7 “Abandoned… fate” Self empowerment

Cummings’ referred to by its opening line next to of course god america i. Cummings criticizes blind patriotism in a number of ways. One such way is the misquoted simile in “these heroic happy dead/ who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter”, which stems from the idiom “lambs to the slaughter”. This phrase is commonly used to describe a person, who is oblivious to any dangers of a given situation. Similar to the misquote, the original portrays the idea of unquestioning obedience and destruction of innocence. Whilst the word “lions” portrays the soldiers to be courageous, “roaring” could emphasize the fierce and violent nature of their massacre. However, it could also be interpreted as criticism towards the impetuous nature of their behavior, as they are simply “rushing” into it rather than questioning the righteous of their actions. As a result of the second part of the line, the reader no longer sees these soldiers as “heroic” or “happy” as they have no control over the decision of doing so, just as the persona of Prayer Before Birth had feared of becoming a “lethal automaton”. To further elaborate, as a soldier himself, Cummings witnessed the brutality and inhumanity of the battlefield. Henceforth this satirical poem and the metaphor above convey how those influenced by the advocation of blind patriotism often become foolish and hasty. He also denounces those

causes the poem to flow, and thus lightens up the dark and serious issue of war. The lines "But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place." are easy to read; however, their meaning is extremely

e. e. Cummings’ next to of course god america i deals with the irrationality of blind patriotism and the manipulation of people for certain goals. The poem is largely one long sentence, an individual giving a speech in regards to patriotism halfheartedly. The author asserts how patriotism is being used as an excuse to justify and carry out potentially heinous deeds without any repercussions. In the beginning of the poem Cummings portrays patriotism as it is usually seen by using typical songs and phrases. Later on however, his tone changes and he becomes satirical and dark. He mocks individuals who “[do] not stop to think [but] die instead.” The speaker shows how the negative aspects of war are being disregarded due to patriotism being used to manipulate people into accepting detrimental ideas and actions. In regards to patriotism, Cummings asks the question “then shall the voice of liberty be mute?” This inquiry ridicules the narrow-minded idea that who so ever contests the traditional idea of patriotism is un-American. Unlike America by Ginsberg which addresses its problems