LA ONLINE LESSON

Part 1
The conflict in the poem is how children are taught to fight in a war instead of being taught about knowledge. This is something that the persona does not agree to and feels that this would in the end make the children's life meaningless even if they feel proud for winning a battle for the country.
PART 2 --- Analysis of the poem
Steps in Analysis

Point

Evidence

Elaboration

1.Point of View
2.Situation and Setting
3.Language/ Diction
4.Personal Response


Point Of View

I believe that this poem is wrote in the point of view of either a soldier or a parent who have witnessed and truly felt themselves what damage can a war bring to a person. The persona might have gone on to the battlefields and feel that their younger generations should not be educated to go to war. It destroys their life. Their life would be pitch dark. They feel distraught and angry on why those children innocent and oblivious to what is even going on should carry the burden for them. The poet shows anti war sentiments with this poem and he definitely has unpleasant experiences with the war before.

Situation and Setting
I think that the setting of this poem is both in the classroom and on the raging battlefields. This actually shows a stark difference between the two places. One which houses little children ready to quench their thirst for knowledge while on the battlefields, children taught to hold guns, cannons, bayonets and learnt how to kill and stab enemies. The poet keeps on questioning in the poem, probably to show uncertainty if what they are doing would actually benefit the children.
3

Language/ Diction
The poem used metaphors such as candles to signify hopes and darkness to signify lost and hopeless children. There is an emphasis on the WORD "COULD" which also shows his desire that the younger generations to be taught to read, write and dance instead of fighting.

Personal Response
I feel that war can really damage a person. Killing and seeing people die in front of your eyes are gory and they might cause permanent damages. I feel really sorry for the children in the past, in the poem. They don't have a chance to feel and smell the warmth of books and instead are putting their lives at risk and meddling with useless metals. They will find that they have no happy and memorable childhood times which is sadistic. :(


++ I decided to just add something out of the box. I reedited this post to cater to Ms Tay's lesson. I've read through the poem by Rupert Brooke and found it different from the rest of the others I've glanced through thus far. The persona is extremely patriotic and praises England, to be a land of tranquility and serenity, which had given him the very life. He's not scared of death, for if a England soldier drops dead, that foreign field become part of England, filled with fertile dust and England air. HE believes that all his sins and would be brushed off as he sacrificed himself for his beloved country. This is a poem where a soldier's blood boils, ready to fire the cannon! His soul will rest in peace under the English Heaven, he feels proud to be able to play a part in protecting the country and is willing to pass down whatever Great England has given him.