War is Kind - Stephen Crane Free Essay Example, 750 words

Essay, English Topic: War is Kind- Stephen CraneIntroduction The poem begins with the words ‘do not’ that imply negativity and ends with the word ‘kind’ that generates positivity. This is the best way to describe the ways of the world that is run through the pair of opposites like darkness and light, happiness and sorrow, cruelty and kindness etc. Through the element of sarcasm the poet gives the message, how darkness has engulfed human spirit. Amidst the noise and din generated by the violence of war, amidst dance of destruction and death of soldiers, the author tries to discover cruel kindness of those who are responsible to unleash war, offers consolation by lamenting â€Å"War is kind†. Corroborating this, the poet writes: â€Å"Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom-- A field where a thousand corpses lie†. This is the unending story of wars. Tone of the poem The tone of the poem is sarcastic but it is not sarcasm alone but mixed with helplessness of the situation created by war. We will write a custom essay sample on War is Kind - Stephen Crane or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Apart from the material destruction caused by war which can be replenished, what can never be recouped are the loss of precious lives and the soldier leaves the memories of what has been and what never more will be for his immediate family members, acquaintances and the society at large. As such when the poet mentions that â€Å"war is kind† one must understand the hidden meaning of cruel kindness ingrained in the process of war. One death in the family is like the introduction of the muffled drum in the melodious symphony of an orchestra. The poet reveals this situation by introducing an element of sarcasm specifically in the lines fourteen through sixteen: â€Å"Raged at his breast, gulped and died, Do not weep. War is kind†. Oxymoron in the poem When two unrelated words or having contradictory connotations are employed together in structure, but they give a dissimilar meaning, it is a case of oxymoron. Some of the examples in this poem are: â€Å"virtue of slaughter†, â€Å"excellence of killing†, â€Å"splendid shroud†, â€Å"drill and die† and â€Å"blazing flag†. In this poem the poet has made the judicious use of oxymoron and the contrast is effective and likeable and the words the poet has placed together generate vivid meanings. They describe the indescribable. Should oxymoron be employed in the poetry at all? This is a debatable question. If we restrict the poet with rules ‘to do’ and ‘not to do’ issues, it might affect the freedom of the poet and his latent literary genius. But it needs to be used judiciously to convey an intuitive sense and when there are no appropriate words to describe a particular feeling or situation. In this poem, the poet has used the abovementioned oxymoron with telling effect and they create appropriate images in the mind which are difficult to forget, as such in the given situation it is a successful poetical technique. Repetition In War is Kind the literary device of repetition is used effectively as if it is the lifeline of the poem. In fact it is! Through repetition, the writer generally tries to give vent to an emotion. The poet repeats the first line â€Å"Do not weep, War is kind† five times in the poem, and each time he provides the reason and creates irreversible situations and generates intense sorrow. A heart-broken poet honors the soldier who has done the ultimate commitment, his life itself, for the cause that he was expected to fight. In his death, the pages of history have been daubed in bloodshed and yet the poet with a heavy heart concludes that war is kind. This kindness depicted by the poet is impossible to forget. It is even deceptive! With repetition of this three lettered word, the poet brings the same thought over and over in the mind of the reader. They tonally suggest profound emotions and bitter feelings that arise out of the death of the soldier in grim circumstances in the warfront. It stresses the most important factor of the poem, and it is the main idea and essence of the poem. Poets use repetition to achieve different results, the important of them is to render the poem easier to memorize. It may be to get a particular effect such as alliteration or rhyme. But not so, as far as this poem is concerned. Here repetition is used to create powerful emotions and no manipulation is meant. With repetition of the words â€Å"Do not weep, War is Kind†, the feeling generated in the heart of the reader is—what next? The depth of sorrow increases and intensifies. Conclusion An undercurrent of helplessness runs through the phrase â€Å"War is kind†. Viewing such a grim situation in the warfront, anyone will turn cynical and will think from the bottom of his heart that human beings who are responsible to promote wars are ignoble. The repetition of this phrase creates awesome feelings in the heart of an individual. This phrase needs to be viewed and analyzed not from the technical aspect of construction of the poem, but from the sociological angle, regretting the level of fall of the humankind. Each repetition of the phrase looks like the slash of the sword that tears away the emotional world of the reader. It celebrates the disaster of human history and poses the silent and crying question can this planet earth ever be made heaven-like? It laments how men sacrifice their lives for something they are trained or brainwashed to believe in. The repetition of this simple phrase is the hardest part of the poem. This is not a mere poem; it is the spiri tual sermon that cries for peace.