Ruth Seok
The poem “Attack” by Siegfried Sassoon depicts the moment in War as soldiers and weapons itself awake to a new day in the reoccurring cycle of violence and battle. Just by the title of the poem itself, I was able to infer that the poem would involve heavy action. Throughout the poem, I was able to empathize with the soldiers as they constantly put their lives at stake. What would it be like to constantly worry whether I would make it through the night or even see the start of a new day? What would I feel the moment I awoke every morning, knowing that another day of tense fighting awaited me?
Siegfried Sassoon structures the poem in a chronological manner to begin "at dawn" to the outbreak of the battle. He exposes the harsh realities of war through personification and concrete details. Even the sun is personified as "glow'ring"--it appears to be angry and sullen, which is a direct reflection of the soldiers' mood as they face a new day. Sassoon personifies the weapons by stating that the “barrage roars and lifts”. The word “roar” is used to describe a loud and deep shout of a large animal or crowd. By incorporating words with negative connotation, he strives to characterize weapons as treacherous and overpowering forces that put the men’s lives at risk. Sassoon also builds tension by using repetition and plosives with words such as “time ticks”. I could also feel Sassoon's dry criticism for war and it's naive cause by using diction to characterize the weapons as if they "creep", "clumsily bowed", "topple". The weapons are shown as underdeveloped and awkward in use. All in all, the weapons appear to be a threatening force that cannot be fully controlled and will eventually lead to the deaths of many.
Is fighting for your country really glorious in its essence? Sassoon persuades me that it is the exact opposite. The men fighting for the war are actually fighting for a cause that remains unclear. Are bloodshed and the deaths of innocent civilians really necessary? In the end, however, I appreciate the soldiers’ patriotism and their willingness to fight for a cause beyond their own.
The poem “Attack” by Siegfried Sassoon depicts the moment in War as soldiers and weapons itself awake to a new day in the reoccurring cycle of violence and battle. Just by the title of the poem itself, I was able to infer that the poem would involve heavy action. Throughout the poem, I was able to empathize with the soldiers as they constantly put their lives at stake. What would it be like to constantly worry whether I would make it through the night or even see the start of a new day? What would I feel the moment I awoke every morning, knowing that another day of tense fighting awaited me?
Siegfried Sassoon structures the poem in a chronological manner to begin "at dawn" to the outbreak of the battle. He exposes the harsh realities of war through personification and concrete details. Even the sun is personified as "glow'ring"--it appears to be angry and sullen, which is a direct reflection of the soldiers' mood as they face a new day. Sassoon personifies the weapons by stating that the “barrage roars and lifts”. The word “roar” is used to describe a loud and deep shout of a large animal or crowd. By incorporating words with negative connotation, he strives to characterize weapons as treacherous and overpowering forces that put the men’s lives at risk. Sassoon also builds tension by using repetition and plosives with words such as “time ticks”. I could also feel Sassoon's dry criticism for war and it's naive cause by using diction to characterize the weapons as if they "creep", "clumsily bowed", "topple". The weapons are shown as underdeveloped and awkward in use. All in all, the weapons appear to be a threatening force that cannot be fully controlled and will eventually lead to the deaths of many.
Is fighting for your country really glorious in its essence? Sassoon persuades me that it is the exact opposite. The men fighting for the war are actually fighting for a cause that remains unclear. Are bloodshed and the deaths of innocent civilians really necessary? In the end, however, I appreciate the soldiers’ patriotism and their willingness to fight for a cause beyond their own.
Ryan Yi
Right when Mrs. Wiebusch instructed us to find a poem, the poem "Attack" struck out to me. I felt that the short and singular title ironically had much to say within the poem itself, which piqued my curiousity.
Looking from from the title, "Attack," I assumed that this poem would detail a fast attack on the front. However, I would find that my initial impression would be wrong. It starts off slow, but suddenly ends fast in a panicky tone.
I immediately saw the filmic nature of the poem. In fact, the beginning would be set up as if I played the entire poem through my mind. It would certainly seem like a Hollywood war movie in it's vivid descriptions, with the cliche opening picture or scene of the sun rising above the horizon to reflect the start of "dawn."
Next, we would be introduced the characters of this "film." The characters are not really characters, but rather the multiple reflections of the same character: a GRAY soldier. Also, I think Sassoon does this in order to highlight at the uniform nature of the soldiers, almost as if they have no vibrant distinct personality, and that in war, they are all the same to the generals: numbers. Furthermore, the rising action of the soldiers is built up through the diction "emerges." The ridge, personified in order for dramatic effect, almost 'clashes' with the soldiers in the middle: a clear and filmic scene in it of itself. Finally, the full commencement of the battle climaxes with the soldier's death.
I have already seen many people who write that "Sassoon provides the realities of war to the inexperienced minds." In this poem, I believe that Sassoon is trying to get across the message that the pace and tone of the atmosphere surrounding a battle can change within moments. We see that when the "tanks creep," there is a certain sense of slowness and inactivity. However, right after that line, Sassoon writes "the barrage roars and lifts." As a reader, I certainly felt the pace shift, a feeling that Sassoon wanted his readers to experience through his writing his poetry.
Right when Mrs. Wiebusch instructed us to find a poem, the poem "Attack" struck out to me. I felt that the short and singular title ironically had much to say within the poem itself, which piqued my curiousity.
Looking from from the title, "Attack," I assumed that this poem would detail a fast attack on the front. However, I would find that my initial impression would be wrong. It starts off slow, but suddenly ends fast in a panicky tone.
I immediately saw the filmic nature of the poem. In fact, the beginning would be set up as if I played the entire poem through my mind. It would certainly seem like a Hollywood war movie in it's vivid descriptions, with the cliche opening picture or scene of the sun rising above the horizon to reflect the start of "dawn."
Next, we would be introduced the characters of this "film." The characters are not really characters, but rather the multiple reflections of the same character: a GRAY soldier. Also, I think Sassoon does this in order to highlight at the uniform nature of the soldiers, almost as if they have no vibrant distinct personality, and that in war, they are all the same to the generals: numbers. Furthermore, the rising action of the soldiers is built up through the diction "emerges." The ridge, personified in order for dramatic effect, almost 'clashes' with the soldiers in the middle: a clear and filmic scene in it of itself. Finally, the full commencement of the battle climaxes with the soldier's death.
I have already seen many people who write that "Sassoon provides the realities of war to the inexperienced minds." In this poem, I believe that Sassoon is trying to get across the message that the pace and tone of the atmosphere surrounding a battle can change within moments. We see that when the "tanks creep," there is a certain sense of slowness and inactivity. However, right after that line, Sassoon writes "the barrage roars and lifts." As a reader, I certainly felt the pace shift, a feeling that Sassoon wanted his readers to experience through his writing his poetry.
