In this paper, I have decided to work with the poem, of course, but also with the author’s biography and I also have looked

In this paper, I have decided to work with the poem, of course, but also with the author’s biography and I also have looked up the consequences of World War I.

First of all, I have chosen some fragments of Charles Sorley’s biography. All of these fragments are related with the war, and the role that the author had in it.

“While Charles Sorley was studying in Germany, the war was declared. He was interned at Trier but he had instructions to leave the country. When he returned home, he enlisted himself in the Suffolk Regiment in 1914.”

He was killed by a sniper, at the Battle of Loos, on 13 October 1915.” (1)

Now I have taken some fragments that talk about the social consequences of this war.

“ The first World War ended with a Europe scarred by trenches, spent resources, and littered with the bodies of the millions who died in battle”

“ the experiences of the war led to sort of collective national trauma afterwards for all the participating countries. The optimism of 1900 was entirely gone and those who fought in the war became what is known as “The Lost Generation” because they never fully recovered from their experiences.”

“ Pacifism became increasingly popular. Others had the opposite reaction, feeling that only strength and military might could be relied on for protection in a chaotic and inhumane world that did not respect hypothetical notions of civilization. Certainly a sense of disillusionment and cynicism became pronounced, with Nihilism growing in popularity”(2)

Now, going on with the analysis, I will try to explain all the feelings that the poem talks about, and how the poet describes them. I will look at every symbol that could give me a sign of what the poet felt when he wrote the poem.

The poem is divided into three stanzas. The rhyme is AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJthat is repeated in every stanza of the poem.

The first time I read this poem, I thought what the poet wanted to do was to make some propagand of the war but it´s not true. The poet invites the soldiers to sing a song while they´re going to die. The poem is also a song, because it is easy to remember and you can put some rhythm, to its verses, while you are reading it so you are turning a poem into a song. But it is not a joyful, although it seems, it´s an ironic chant: nobody wants to sing when you know you´re going to die. I think people will never accept death although we are in front of her.

“All the hills and vales along/Earth is bursting into song,/And the singers are the chaps/Who are going to die perhaps.”

 In this four verses, the poet gives us the image of a battalion who is steerred to a battlefield, and you can hear the boots of the soldiers walking in a strong step. The earth is bursting into song because we are talking about World War I, then all the earth was fighting.

When the poet says: “the chaps who are going to die perhaps”; he is giving us a sign, all the soldiers will fight against death, some of them will win the battle but others will fall in an attempt to defend his country.

 “Till the valleys ring again./Give your gladness to earth's keeping, /So be glad, when you are sleeping.”

In these three verses we can read:  Give your life to the earth, she will be proud of you, because you have died with honour.

“Cast away regret and rue,/Think what you are marching to./Little live, great pass.”

Throw your sorrow, you are helping others to get the peace but think about  what you are going to do. Here we see how the author sees the future, a black future.

He introduces us into a soldier´s mind who goes to fight and perhaps he will die, and he tells us that we have to be sure of what we are going to see around us.

“Little live, great pass”: your life is insignificant but you are giving a great pass for the humanity, you are fighting for freedom, for the peace.

“Jesus Christ and Barabbas /Were found the same day./This died, that went his way.”

In this fragment we can interpret that Jesus and Barabbas are the personification of good and evil. In a battle we can find both, the good, that is the battalion you are fighting for, and the evil, that are the other soldiers that are fighting against yours. Both of them will die the same day, death knows nothing about good and evil, you are going to die although you are the good one.

“So sing with joyful breath,/For why, you are going to death./Teeming earth will surely store /All the gladness that you pour.”

Accpet it! You are going to die so now that you know that, do it with honour. Raise your head and smile, it is the end of your short life.

The second stanza shows us an earth that does not know the sorrow, the pain. She will be proud if you sing your song when you die. And now we turn back to the image in the first four verses: the soldiers walking through hills and mountains, with a determined step, watching the death that exhales her breath in the faces of the soldiers.

And the last stanza invites the soldiers to shout for joy, the earth will echo this song forever.

“ Lies numb and voice mute”

You will die, nobody will know your sorrow song. It´s time for death to work with you. It´s hard to see how we can fight for  peace,  it is a strange feeling, a contradictory phrase.

“Strew your gladness on earth's bed,/So be merry, so be dead.”

Lie in the arms of the earth, and help her to grow.

Conclusion

This poem shows us how sad can be a war, whether if you have to fight in or not.

Th poem talks about the soldier, the most important thing in a war, and also it works with death, when a life is in the battle field fighting against its own future.

Although the poem talks about war like if it were a joyful moment, I think it is an ironic way to talk about it, because, in my point of view, nobody could ever think that war is a good way to lose our lives.

Bibliography

1_http://www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose/sorley.htm ; Original material © Michael Duffy 2000-06, SafeSurf Rated

2_ “World war I”, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 9 May 2006 , 07:34 UTC. 10 May 2006, 18:17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_1#Social_trauma

All the hills and vales along       Charles Sorley.

All the hills and vales along

   Earth is bursting into song,

   And the singers are the chaps

   Who are going to die perhaps.

     O sing, marching men,

     Till the valleys ring again.

     Give your gladness to earth's keeping,

     So be glad, when you are sleeping.

   Cast away regret and rue,

  Think what you are marching to.

  Little live, great pass.

  Jesus Christ and Barabbas

  Were found the same day.

  This died, that went his way.

    So sing with joyful breath,

    For why, you are going to death.

    Teeming earth will surely store

    All the gladness that you pour.

  Earth that never doubts nor fears,

  Earth that knows of death, not tears,

  Earth that bore with joyful ease

  Hemlock for Socrates,

  Earth that blossomed and was glad

  'Neath the cross that Christ had,

  Shall rejoice and blossom too

  When the bullet reaches you.

    Wherefore, men marching

    On the road to death, sing!

    Pour your gladness on earth's head,

    So be merry, so be dead.

  From the hills and valleys earth

  Shouts back the sound of mirth,

  Tramp of feet and lilt of sing

  Ringing all the road along.

  All the music of their going,

  Ringing swinging glad song-throwing,

  Earth will echo still, when foot

  Lies numb and voice mute.

    On, marching men, on

    To the gates of death with song.

    Sow your gladness for earth's reaping,

    So you may be glad, though sleeping.

    Strew your gladness on earth's bed,

    So be merry, so be dead.