War Poetry :: essays research papers

War has occurred in several occasions throughout history. We've had several important wars in the twentieth century, World War I and World War II, and Vietnam. Each and every war has had an effect on those who lived through it, and those who fought in it. Poets write about what effects, and inspires them. If they were soldiers in war they often times have a strong opinion of war. This comes out in their poetry. Seigfried Sassoon, and Rupert Brooke were English poets who both served in World War I. Sassoon, a true survivor of trench warfare, wrote, 'Everyone Sang'; protecting war. While Brooke, who did not see the trenches, wrote, 'The Soldier';, and a patriotic war-supporting poem. Each man wrote a splendid war poem, but each from different spectrums of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  'Everyone Sang'; is a two stanza, five-line poem that says so much about the imprisonment of war. The poem was written right after Sassoon's release from the British army. He is so overjoyed to be released that he compares it too, '…prisoned birds must find in freedom Winging wildly across the white Orchards…'; Like many other poets, he is terrified by war and was 'filled with such delight'; to be out. Sassoon witnessed the brutality on war, which hardened him to the idea of patriotism. 'Everyone Sang'; is a rejoice of freedom until the final two lines. '…O, but everyone Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will never be done.'; Sassoon is reflecting on the realities of war. He implies that even though he is 'free'; and will always be rejoicing, he will never be free from the thoughts and memories of war. Let alone the wars to come, and the new soldiers to follow in his path.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rupert Brooke also wrote about war but in a much different light. Brooke did serve in the Navy during World War I but before he made it to the lines he died of blood poisoning. This is obvious when understanding his poems. He has a very positive outlook on war. He has a very strong patriotic love of England. Brooke's wrote, 'The Soldier';, a traditional sonnet. He praises the wonderful land of England. 'Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England's breathing English air….'; He is loyal to his country for it has been good to him, and he will honor his country by dying for it.

My Last Duchess Essay

The poem â€Å"My Last Duchess† by Robert Browning is about a powerful Duke and his beautiful wife who lived in 16th century. The Duke here is the speaker of the poem and is talking to an emissary who has arrived to discuss about his marriage to the daughter of yet another powerful family. The poem begins with Duke mourning for the loss of his wife but the way he speaks and the poem moves on we feel the tone of detestation in Duke’s words. But at the same time the Duke loved his wife and was not ready to tolerate her unfaithfulness and so he gives orders to decease her. It is clear from the words, â€Å"I ave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. † This is the story of marriage relationship of 16th century when men were extremely powerful and would easily kill women if they doubted her character especially in royal families. In the beginning of the poem the Duke shows his palace to the visitor and stops in front of the portrait of his last duchess who looks like a beautiful young lady. The Duke recalls the portrait session and tells the visitor about it and describes about the Duchess also. He told that the Duchess used to flirt with almost everyone and never cared for his â€Å"gift of a ine-hundred-years old name†. She had a dual personality one that was reality and the other laid in the picture, a beautiful young lady. The Duke here very cleverly chooses words to describe about the Duchess, her flirty behavior and also about her death. After giving a brief and partly hidden description of the demise of his last Duchess he very smarty returns to the topic of his another marriage with another girl and talks to emissary. He walks away from the portrait of the Duchess and points out other distinguished works of art in his collection. The Last Duchess† is a poem comprised of rhyming words and mere monologue in which the speaker with the influence of his powerful personality gives away horrifying information in a colorful manner. Here the poet seems to have distinct views from speaker and poet’s main aim here is to reveal the real character of the Duke and not the Duchess. Although there is no such direct intension but by disclosing character of Duchess as per the Duke and punishment she received from her husband, the poet wants the reader to feel the cruelty and harshness in Duke’s character. The Dukes in the 16th entury were very powerful so much so that they could kill or punish anyone and were not answerable for that. Browning was quite fascinated with the Italian Renaissance because of its religious, moral and human beauty and appreciation impact on society. The poem â€Å"The Last Duchess† involves the reader completely and focuses on the psychology of people of that era. It depends upon the reader what aspect he considers of the poem- the horrified fate of the Duchess, the beautiful and dramatic development, which is very much powerful or the beauty of language. The reader gets completely nvolved in the poem and this is the power and beauty of Browning’s poetic language. He forces his reader to get engrossed in the story depicted in poem and leaves him to think on the social structure, Duke’s character, Duchess’ character or her fate and decide for himself. It depends upon the attitude of the reader that makes him decide what exactly dominated the poem. When we compare each and every aspect of this poem to Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† we find that both the works are of more or less the same era and brings out the picture of the society at that time. Othello† is a tragic story of deception, manipulation and revenge written in the form of play by Shakespeare. The main character of the drama is Othello who is a black military man and is very powerful. He wins the heart of a white woman Desdemona and they seem to be fully devoted to each other. Initially Othello and Desdemona appear to be ideal couple and it seemed that Desdemona would do anything for Othello. But love of Othello and Desdemona gets horrifyingly hindered by the plans of wicked Iago, who appears to be very faithful and honest but in actual he is the sinister villain inside. For this purpose he uses few people along with his wife and there are quite a lot of circumstances in the play where Iago manipulates and exploits it for his selfish fulfillment. Where â€Å"Othello† is a story completely based on manipulations and revenge, â€Å"The Last Duchess† is the poem in which Duke punishes his wife because of her unfaithfulness. In the end Othello also kills his wife because Iago with the help of his manipulated proofs make him believe that his wife is unfaithful towards him. But it was not the truth here. Whereas Duke’s wife is flirtatious which is clear from the Duke’s wordings, â€Å"Too easily mpressed: she liked whate’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere. † And he punishes her because he has the power to do so. According to the Duke he has done the right thing. In both the works, â€Å"Othello† and â€Å"The Last Duchess†, the husbands love their wives but could not tolerate their unfaithfulness. The whole story of â€Å"Othello† is based on revenge that Iago takes because Othello did not promote him as lieutenant. He creates and controls the proofs unscrupulously and convinces Othello that his wife is disloyal towards him but it was not the truth. The Duke as well as Othello, both are very powerful and outgoing and can go to any extent to prove that what they do is right. Othello is a dark man and his dark color is also reflected in his character. He is quite mysterious and believes that there is some kind of magic brewing everywhere. Apart from this he has a trusting nature and believes anyone completely and also because he is not very observant, he does not try to find out the truth himself and believes what Iago creates round him. Othello is not able to understand European women and since he had seen Desdemona’s deception for her father he emembers his words, â€Å"Look to her, Moor, if thou has eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee† (I, iii, lines 286-7) Othello when comes to know that he had been tricked by the words and deeds of Iago, is unable to handle the anguish and he becomes his own judge and sentences himself. Othello understands that he had not killed Desdemona for revenge but because of his jealousy. He took a knife and stabbed himself saying, â€Å" I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss. † (V, ii, line 359-60) Othello is jealous and kills his wife because he is convinced that his wife is unfaithful and he believes that he is doing justice. But the Duke watches his flirtatious wife for sometime who is not even ashamed of what she is doing and then he orders to kill her. The era in which Duke and Duchess live did not allow women to be seen with any other man than their husbands. It is quite possible that Duchess must be unaware that her husband saw her with her new male interest. The royal families at that time would kill their wives if they were not faithful to their husbands. And the Duke follows the same tradition of justice. Both the story depicts the marriage relationship of that era and the form of justice in royal families. In â€Å"The Last Duchess† the Duke is planning to get married again because he justifies his decision of killing his wife. His wife was a cheat and she had created the element of distrust by herself. But the picture of the wife in Shakespeare’s Othello is completely different where Othello’s wife is not only faithful but also devoted to him and his values. Even Iago’s wife cannot hold this injustice and tells Othello the true story and his shows that she had the guts to tell the truth even if it was against her husband. But the Duchess is a cheat and also is not bold enough to tell her husband about it. So the picture of women is completely different in Browning’s poem â€Å"The Last Duchess† and Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†. The only thing common in both the works is that men were powerful in that era and could not tolerate unfaithfulness of their wives. In â€Å"Othello† Iago is portrayed as a very clever character that very smartly weaves his plans just like a chess player and the game of chess. He even uses people in his act of anipulation and makes them do exactly how he wants them to. Here Iago targets a newly wed couple who have not known each other for long and they are not quite aware of the likes and dislikes of each other. Iago tells Othello in such a manner that anyone would believe what he said and Othello believes him as honest and trusts him completely. Othello did not know much about Desdemona before marriage and very easily believed Iago. Othello’s origin also resists him in understanding a European woman and her ethics of life and life-partner. So while comparing Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† and Browning’s â€Å" The last Duchess†, we ee that the situation, plot and circumstances all are quite different in both the stories. The wives in both the stories are completely different in character and one is killed because she was a cheat but Desdemona is killed because of the circumstances created by Iago who wants to take revenge from Othello. Here we pity Othello because he acts according to the manipulated circumstances and anyone would react to those situations as he did. And when he comes to know about the truth he is unable to bear the torment and kills himself whereas the Duke has plans to marry another girl.

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The Early Legend of Gilgamesh - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1311 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Gilgamesh Essay Did you like this example? The Epic of Gilgamesh is the early legend of Gilgamesh, a man who was two thirds god that was spared by friendship. The tale of Gilgamesh was one of the worlds first dynamic works, but above that the first epic. An epic is a long poem, usually one from old oral tradition, depicting the deeds and endauvers of unimaginable figures of the historical backdrop of a country. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Epic of Gilgamesh The Early Legend of Gilgamesh" essay for you Create order Through years of interpretation The Epic of Gilgamesh has become an ageless classic. Gilgamesh was the savage wild bull (1.81) and reckless king of Uruk, who invested his energy assaulting women, harassing citizens, and defeating enemies and taking land. Everything suddenly changed when he met, battled and was guided by his extraordinary companion and immaculate partner, Enkidu; created by the gods as Gilgameshs equal in response to the citizens of Uruks cry for help from their evil king. The love and friendship the two shared helped to mold and change the two characters, each giving up part of their individual lives and giving that part of it to the other. With the assistance of Enkidu and his impact, Gilgamesh turned into a heroic and reasonable king. As with many classics, the role of women, including the ones of goddesses seem to be in question. While The Epic of Gilgamesh follows the friendship and changes of the male main characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, women play an impo rtant role in helping them advance through their epic journey, although this may be viewed differently. While some may say that the role women is a nonexistent as they are portrayed as weaker and lesser to man, the qualities that make a woman a woman and their femininity show great strength over the man. In the epic we meet women of various power: Aruru, Shamhat, and Ishtar. Aruru is the maker of humanity and keeping in mind that her appearance in the epic is exceptionally restricted, her job is greatly critical. She replies to the calls of the citizens of Uruk and makes Enkidu from clay and places him in the wild, The goddess Aruru heard these words, what Anu had thought of she fashioned within her. The goddess Aruru, she washed her hands, took a pinch of clay, threw it down in the wild. In the wild she created Enkidu, the hero, offspring of silence, knit strong by Ninurta. (1.99-104). Her doing so, shows her power over man, since she is the creator of man. If she is able to make a man of such power, she can easily create a female of such power. Shamhat is introduced to us by r eputation, the countrys prostitute. We later learn that she is more than meets the eye and is more than just an objectified object. Ishtar, the goddess of love and war has a little job that ends up being more noteworthy than man, basically preventing them from accomplishing their objective. The women of the epic are what essentially change Gilgameshs perspective of women, aiding him into becoming a more respectable king. It is sensible to perceive any reason why some observe why some may state that the role of women is nonexistent and are lesser to man in light of the fact that from the looks of it women arent entitled to consent and everything is simply chosen for them. In the beginning of the epic, specifically in tablet 1 line 72 we see the exploitation of women, but Gilgamesh lets no daughter go free to her mother. At times, sex happens because one, typically man, has more power over the other, typically female, forcing them to make themself explicitly accessible. Again we see the savage bull Gilgamesh is in line 76 of the same tablet, Gilgamesh lets no girl go free to her bridegroom. The women of Uruk have no say in the preservation of their purity. Men often use women to better themselves, paying little to no respect to the outcome of the women. Not only dealing with the idea of sex, the roles of women are not emphasized as they are for men and their accomplishments are never said. The m an may have the power, but it is the woman who make the man so powerful. While people are right to say that women have no consent and no say in what they do, their femininity is what make them so powerful over man. Shamhat, the country prostitute, was sent to to the wild to essentially take the uncivilized Enkidu and use her femininity to seduce him and bring him back to Uruk. That is he, Shamhat! Uncradle your bosom, bare your sex, let him take in your charms! Do not recoil, but take in his scent: he will see you, and he will approach you. (1.180-183). While this was done in no regard to her safety, it shows how powerful a womans touch is, that it can tame the most wild of men. Her sexuality in a sense represented the normalization and civilization of Uruk. Come, Shamhat, take me along to the sacred temple, holy home of Anu and Ishtar, where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength, like a wild bull lording it over the menfold. I will challenge him, for [my strength] is might. (1.215-220). If it wasnt for Shamhat, Enkidu would have remained in the wild, the refore never meeting his equal, never going on the epic journey and the people of Uruk would have never been saved. The interaction between Shamhat and Enkidu gave him a different outlook on life that helped benefit the people of Uruk because he was able to give Gilgamesh a different perspective of female sexuality, helping them along their epic journey and making Gilgamesh more respectable. As the epic continues and Gilgamesh learns more from Enkidu he learns how to respect women. He even denied Ishtars hand in marriage. He realizes that she has nothing to offer him, she cannot save him as Shamhat has saved Enkidu. He notes her as a temporary user and realizes a relationship is more than sex. She doesnt like his response and convinces her father, Anu to give her the fiery Bull of Heaven to punish Gilgamesh with death. The Bull of Heaven causes havoc in Uruk, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu discover its weak spot and kill it. (6. Intro). While they did defeat the bull, it was Ishtar wh o gave them the power and opportunity to prove they are worthy. He gained respect not only for the women but for himself and his image. The Epic of Gilgamesh, as many other stories stories delineates women as lesser than man, however reality of the situation is man would not accomplish significance if not for women. Unlike the women in The Epic of Gilgamesh, the women in the Ramayana are honored and it was surprising to see that words being used especially after reading this epic where it was harder to see the meaning and value of women. Beyond all of this, you violated his wifes honour and made her your own. Guarding a womans honour is the first duty laid on any intelligent being. (102). While some may say that the honor of the woman is tied to the actions the man imposes on them, it is the woman who has the upper hand on the man. The women utilizes their sexuality to fortify the men. While this may appear as women being objectified, it really demonstrates the immense power women have over the man. Sexuality isnt simply sex and appearance. Man might be physically more grounded, however women are mentally more gr ounded. The women of The Epic of Gilgamesh help to balance the men and help them achieve and strive for greatness. Without the women, Gilgamesh would not have possessed the capacity to make such progress, despite the fact that his epic journey of acquiring immortality have failed, he developed as a man and as a king.