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These fought in any case (("pro patria" - For their country,…
These fought in any case
Structure
Pound utilises caesura (pauses within a line of verse) to emphasise the significance of each line in the poem. Language and form is jagged, repetitive and disjointed in order to express his emotions when contemplating the horror of war. The irregular lines and rhythms echo the chaos and bewilderment of the soldiers. There is no rhyme scheme. Verses are of various lengths thus depicting the lack of structure in a country which is a "botched civilization".
Mood and tone
The mood is grim and cynical. The youth of the country has been sacrificed for political ends under the guise of patriotism. The poet's tone is one of extreme dissatisfaction, anger, criticism and irony
Intention
The poet's intention is to make the reader aware of the futility of war and to express his anger and outrage at politicians who value power and money over the welfare of the citizens. War is the culmination of a civilization gone wrong, a society that has lost its artistic and moral compass
Diction and imagery
The repetition of words such as "lies", "blood", and "as never before" in the poem emphasise the tragedy of the young men who died for "usury" and "liars in public places". By repeating "some" the poet gives a sense of the sheer numbers of young men who died in the war and the repetition of "home" emphasises the disillusionment of those who returned home to "deceits", "lies" and "new infamy"
The lists of abstract, emotive nouns such as "wastage", "fortitude", "illusions", and "hysteria" portray the poet's disgust. He emphasises that the war is destructive and there is nothing to be gained by war
The poet uses vivid figurative language to convey his feelings. Metaphors such as "an old bitch gone in the teeth", "for botched civilization" portrays his abhorrence of both the country and her politicians and the personification of "charm, smiling the good mouth", emphasises that the population was totally deluded by the charm of the politicians.
IV
When WW1 broke out in 1914 there was a wave of patriotic and idealistic sentiment in England - "Dulce et decorum est, pro patria more." - It is sweet and fitting to die for one's fatherland. However, when the horrors of the trenches were fully experienced by the men on the front, there was enormous revulsion. Pound makes the reader aware of the suffering and futility of war.
He is scathing toward the political leadership which is weak society produces and maintains that the society chooses men who are morally corrupt because it, too, is morally corrupt. War and carnage are the outcomes
It is part of a larger poem and is made up of 18 short poems and begins with a satirical analysis of the London scene then turns to social criticism and economics and then to attack on the causes of war.
The poet describes the enthusiasm and excitement with which the population embraced the announcement of war. Young men flocked to sign up. Some fought "pro domo" - for home; some sought adventure; some went for glory; some feared the ridicule of their peers; and some were disposed to violence. Others imagined the great glory of fighting for one's country, while yet others would later learn the satisfaction of wreaking carnage on others
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Ellipsis - pauses, think what has been said
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"myriad" - different people, variation
"old bitch" - Literal - old dog not protecting anymore. Figurative - capitalistic system doesnt work anymore
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"statues" - Capitalism (unequal), misunderstanding, unfair judgement. Synechdoche - use part to address a whole
V
He applauds the daring of the young men and condemns the "wastage" wrought by the politicians. Pound emphasises the wastage by remarking that men from all walks of life "young blood and high blood", all "fair" with "fine bodies" lost their lives for an unethical cause. He extols their bravery and records their disillusionment with words such as "hysteria", "trench confessions" and "laughter out of dead bellies"
A "myriad" of the best of England's population died for a worthless country which has nothing to offer its citizens. Thee poet blames the false smiles and assurances of the politicians for the tragedy of war. These lead to the death of the boys who were buried "under earth's lid". The final two lines emphasise that these young soldiers died for nought but "broken statues" and "a few thousand battered books"
After listing the reasons why the young men went to war, Pound describes the effects of war. The soldiers soon learned that it is neither "sweet" nor "fitting" to die for one's country. They walked "eye-deep" in hell. The poet brings those in authority to task. The general and politicians are "old men" who tell "lies" and the disillusioned soldiers return home to more lies and deceits.