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At the War Office, London (Affixing the Lists of Killed and Wounded: December 1899). The Boer War First Anglo-Boer War (1880 – 1881) Second Anglo-Boer War (1899 – 1902). Form
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At the War Office, London (Affixing the Lists of Killed and Wounded: December 1899) The Boer War First Anglo-Boer War (1880 – 1881) Second Anglo-Boer War (1899 – 1902)
Form Each of the two stanzas takes a shape like this. Each line becoming gradually longer until the last line, which is about half the size. All the stanzas have chapter numbers to represent passing of time. From before the war and then during the war. The poem takes first person narrative. I, II
Structure The first stanza focuses on the year that Britain decided to go to war. And the publics excitement/eagerness but the contrast of the narrator knowing it would end badly. The second stanza then looked at the negative results of war on the country and the deaths that affected the people.
Sentence Structure Each stanza is one long sentence broken up by commas or semi-colons. The stanzas consist of two rhyming couplets, while the first line rhymes with the last two lines.
Word Choice Elements of darkness throughout. These emphasise the atmosphere of war. But also the foreboding felt by the narrator about the horror to come. The narrator wished the country had not so willingly marched into the war. The public had been happy to do so, the pulse and rhythm of marching and the heaving as in forwards. “darkest thinkable”, “tragedy of things” and “scheduled slaughter”. “own land could heave its pulse less gladly”
Word Choice There is a definite segmentation of the first and second stanza, showing that time has moved on. At the time a lot of details of war were hidden from the public, they were made to believe life on the front line was good. But regardless of the information concealed their hearts could not be protected from the pain of loss. “Yet” “censured time no heart was rent”
Word Choice The people that lost is emphasised through the listing of types of people that lost people in the war. To flinch or grow pale from shock, fear, or similar emotion. To create another element of regimented military style order. Making the deaths seem planned/scheduled. “parent, wife or daughter” “blanched” “scheduled slaughter”
Word Choice This is one of Hardy’s made up words and illustrates that Peace smiled but went unseen or was ignored. The lettering of the word suggests to shine. Finally, this last line emphasises that the war was from far off lands like India all the way back to countries of the west. But also has the double entendre Independence then going down/falling. “unshent” “From Ind to Occident.”