A Detailed Analysis of Stephen Crane's "War is Kind" prescribed for G.C.E. O/L English Literature New Syllabus

Adet ai l edanal ysi soft hepoem "Wa Wari sKi nd"bySt ephenCr anepr escr i bedf ort heO/ O/ LEngl i sh Li t e r a t ur eSy l l a busbyR. C. Fe r n ando Wa ri sk i n db ySt e ph enCr a neec h o esWi Wi l f r e dOwe n ' sp oe mo nwa r" Du l c e tDe c o r u me s t "wh i c hal s o br i ngsoutt hes av ager yofwari ngr aphi cdet ai l sofas ol di erdy i nganagoni z i ngdeat haf t eri nhal i ng p oi s o ng asr e l e as e db yt h ee ne my my .Bo t hp oe t sha dfi r s th an de x pe r i e nc eo fwa r ;Owe na sas o l d i e rwh o f oug hti nt h ef r ontan dCr an easawarr epor t e r . Cr ane' spoem offi v es t anz ast ak esusr i ghti nt ot hehear toft hebat t l efi el dwi t hs ol di er scr y i nganddy i ng al l ar ound.Es pec i al l y , t hei ndent eds ec ondandf our t hs t anz ascapt ur est hec r uel t yofwari ns har pl y f o cu se ds c en esofd yi n gs ol d i er s .St an z asone ,t h r e ea ndfiv e ,o nt h eo t h erh an d,a r ea bo utt wowo me me n a ndab ab ywh oh av el o s tt h ei rl o v edon esi nwa r .Th efi r s ts t a nz ai sa bo utawo ma ma nwh oh asl o s th er l o ver ,t hes ec onds t anz aaboutt hel os sofaf at herandt hi r daboutt hedeat hofas on.I neac hoft hes e s t an za s ,t h ep oe ts e emst oc on s ol et h emo ur n er si ni nat o ng uei nc he ekma ma nn er . He r ei st h epo em: Don otwee p,mai den,f orwari sk i nd. Be cau s ey o url o v ert hr e w wi l dha nd st o wa r dt h es k y Andt heaff r i ght edst e edr anonal on e, Donotweep. Wari sk i n d. Ho ar s e ,b oo mi mi n gd r u msoft ms h er e gi me nt , Li t t l es oul swhot hi r s tf orfi ght , Thes emenwer ebor nt odr i l l anddi e. Th eu ne x pl a i n edgl or yfl i e sab ov et h em, Gr eati st h ebat t l egod ,gr eat ,andhi sk i ngdom— Afi el dwh er eat h ou sa ndc or p s esl i e . Don otwee p,bab e,f orwari sk i nd . Bec au sey ou rf at he rt umbl edi nt hey e l l o wt r en ches , Rag edathi sbr e as t ,gul pe dan ddi e d, Donotweep. Wari sk i n d. Swi f t ,bl az i ngfl agoft her egi ment , Eagl ewi t hc r es tofr edandgol d, Thes emenwer ebor nt odr i l l anddi e. Poi ntf ort hem t hev i r t ueofs l aught er , Mak epl ai nt ot hem t hee x cel l enc eofk i l l i ng An dafi e l dwh er eat h ou s an dc o r p s esl i e .

Mo t h erwh os eh ea r th un ghu mb mb l easab ut t o n Ont h ebr i ghts pl endi ds hr o udofy ours on, Donotweep. Wari sk i n d. Th ep oe mo pe nsi nt o neo fc o ns ol a t i o n:" Dono twe epma i d en. . "wh i c hi si mme di a t e l yf o l l o wedb yt h e c ut t i ngl i nes :" f ori sk i nd" .Thi si sbot hi r oni cands ar c as t i c .Ne x t ,t hepoetpr es ent st oust hegr aphi c i mageofamanwhot hr o wshi shandswi l dl yatt hes k y .I fno tf ort hev er b" t hr o w" ,i tmi ghtr emi ndusof s ome bo dyp r a y i ngt oGo Go d.Th ema no nh or s eb ac kmu mu s th av ebee ns ho ta ndaf t e rl o os i ngc on t r o l ,hef e l l do wnan dt hes c ar edhor s er ana l on e.Th ef r ant i cges t ur eoft hed yi ngs ol di erbr i ngshomet hegr i t t y r eal i t yofwarwi t has hoc ki ngeffec t . Th es e co nds t a nz abe gi n swi t ht h e" h oa r s e ,b oo mi mi ngd r u msoft ms h er e gi me nt "wi t hi t sde af e ni n g o no ma ma t o po ei ce ffe ct .Th os eda y sdr u mswe ms r eus edt ohe r a l dt h ea dv a nc i n gt r oo ps , ma ybet obo os tt h ei r mo r al e .Thene x tt wol i nesbr i ngo uts adf at eoft hes ol d i er swh oar ee ng agedi nwar : Li t t l es oul swhot hi r s tf orfi ght , Th es eme nwe r eb or nt od r i l l a ndd i e . I ns t eadofgl or i f y i ngt hes ol di er s ,asi npat r i ot i cpoemssuc hasRuper tBr ook ' s" TheSol di er " ,t hepoet ,i n t hi spoem r ef er st ot hem as" l i t t l es oul s " . Thepoet ' st oneher ei ssy mpat mp het i candi tc ont r as t swi t ht he t r adi t i onal i mageoft hes ol di erasat oughdar edev i l t y peofman.Thenex tl i newi t hi t sst r ongal l i t er at i on of" d"s oundi n" dr i l l anddi e"s ugges tt hedi s pens abl enat ur eoft hei rdoomedl i v es .I not herwor ds ,t he y s er v easpa wnsi nt hehandsoft her ul er swi t hv es t edi nt er es t s .Thene xtl i nec ar r i esi r oni cov er t ones : Th eu ne x pl a i n edg l or yfl i e sa bo v et h em Gl or yi sp er s on i fi edasa nu nr e ac ha bl eandfl ee t i n gp he no me me nonast h es ol di e r swo ul dne v ere x pe r i e nc e t hes oc al l ed" gl or y "whi l et he yl i v e.Thec ont r as tbet weent hei deal andt her eal nat ur eofwari sno wher e s oev i dentasi nt hef ol l owi ngl i nes : Gr eati st hebat t l egod,gr eat ,andhi ski ngdom— Afi el dwh er eat h ou sa ndc or p s esl i e . Thefi r s tl i newi t hi t sst r ongal l i t er at i onof" g"s ounds ugges t st hepompandgr eat nes sofwares pec i al l y wi t ht heal l us i ont h eMar s ,t h eRomanGo dofWa ro rt he" ba t t l egod" .Ho we v er ,t hene xtl i nec r eat esa t ot al l ydi ffer ents cenar i oofc or ps es t r e wnl ands cape,whi c hr emi ndsusofasi mi l ars cenei nT enny s on' s Ch ar geoft heLi ghtBr i ga de : " I nt ot hev al l eyofDeat h Ro det h es i xh un dr e d"

Th e3 r ds t an zai sa dd r e s se dt oaba bywh os ef a t h erha dd i e di nwa r : Don otwee p,bab e,f orwari sk i nd . Bec au sey ou rf at he rt umbl edi nt hey e l l o wt r en ches , Rag eda th i sbr e as t ,g ul pe da ndd i e d, Donotweep. Wari sk i n d. Thewa yt hes ol di erdi esher ei snol es shor r i bl et hant hedeat hoft hes ol di eri nt hefi r s ts t anz a.Thefi r s t wo r l dwa rwa sma i n l yanu nd er g r o un dwa r f ar ea ss ol d i e r swe r efi gh t i n gf r om t r e nc h es .Th ec on di t i on so f t het r enc heswer eappa l l i n gandman ys ol di er sdi edofdi s eas esr at he rt hanf r om war .Th e" y el l o w t r enc hes "br i ngoutt heunheal t h yc ondi t i onsoft het r enc hes .Thee xc r uc i at i ngpai ns uff er edb yt hedy i ng s ol di eri sco nv e y edt hr ought hev er bs" r aged"and" g ul ped" .Thi sgr u es omes c enebr i ng soutt hec r uel t y o fwa ri nn ou nc e r t a i nt e r ms .Th es el i n esal s oe c ho esDu l c e tDe c or u m Es t : " Hep l ungesatme,gut t e r i ng,c ho ki ng ,d r o wni ng" . Thi si si mmedi at el yf ol l o wedb yt hes har pl yi r oni cl i nes" Dono tweep/ Wari ski nd" . Thene x ts t anz at ak e su st ot heba t t l efi el dag ai n : Swi f t ,bl az i ngfl agoft her egi ment , Eagl ewi t hc r es tofr edandgol d, Thes emenwer ebor nt odr i l l anddi e. Poi ntf ort hem t hev i r t ueofs l aught er , Mak epl ai nt ot hem t hee x cel l enc eofk i l l i ng An dafi e l dwh er eat h ou s an dc o r p s esl i e . Ther e gi ment al fl agwi t hi t sgol denc r es ts eemst os y mbol mb i z est hes pi r i tdec or psandhe r oi s m ofwar . Thene xtl i ne,howev er ,c onv ey st hes t ar kr eal i t yofwaras ,ac cor di ngt ot hepoet ,t hes ol di er sar ej us t bor nt o" dr i l l anddi e" .Thi ssuddenf al l f r om t hes ubl i met ot hebanal i scal l edbat hosorant i c l i max .The nex tt wol i neswi t h" v i r t ueofs l aught er "and" e xc el l enc eofk i l l i ng"a r eal s ol adenwi t hhea vyi r on y .The ghos t l ypanor amaof" afi el dwher et hous andc or ps esl i e"agai nhi ghl i ght st hegr i mr eal i t yofwar . Th efi n al s t a nz awi t ht hei ma geofamo t h ermo ur ni n ghi sde adso np r o v i d esanap pr o pr i a t ec o nc l u si o n t ot h epo em: Mo t h erwh os eh ea r th un ghu mb mb l easab ut t o n Ont h ebr i ghts pl endi ds hr o udofy ours on, Donotweep. Wari sk i n d.

Theheav yal l i t er at i onoft he" h"s oundi nt hefi r s tl i nec r eat essens eofheav i nes sofhear tf el tbyt he mot her .Thes i mi l e" humbl easabut t on"i ss ome whats ur pr i s i ngandi tl i nk swi t ht he" s hr oud"i nt hene xt l i ne.I ti s" br i ghtands pl endi d" ,t hussugges t i v eofac er emoni al f uner al .I not herwor ds ,t hes ol di eri s gl or i fi edaf t erhi sdeat hasonewhol ai ddownhi sl i f ef ort hec ount r yandagai ns tt hi saur aofgl or i fi cat i on, mot her ' sl o vehasbec omei ns i gni fi cantl i k e" abut t on" . Thepoem end swi t ht hec ut t i ngl i ne s: " Donotweep Wari sk i n d" whi c hr unsl i k eani r oni cr ef r ai nt hr oughoutt hepoem. Li k emos tpoemsaboutwar ,t hi spoem t oobr i ngsou tt hec r u el t yofwarandi t smi mi s er abl eaf t er mat hi n t el l i ngi mager y . Thei r oni cs t y l eus edi nt hepo em r emi ndsusofo t herwa rpo emsoft hegenr esuc has " bl o wi ngi nt hewi nd" ," Dul c etdec or um es t "e t c