Finished with the War-A Soldier's Declaration

Sassoon makes his statement 'as an act of wilful defiance of military authority'.
When considering that the declaration will be read by 'military authority', this phrase not only suggests that Sassoon is a courageous man, but seems to be rather provocative.
Later on Sassoon even blames military authority to have 'deliberately prolonged ' the war.
The entire first sentence of Sassoon's declaration is very direct and leaves the reader with no doubts that Sassoon has a very strong view concerning the war and the people in power.
It does however also result in him being immediatly disliked by 'military authority', which will make them less sympathetic towards his cause.
This let's me conclude that Sassoon's aim in writing the declaration is not to address the problem and wait for the response of the people 'who have the power to end' the war, but rather to get the country's attention by officially speaking against this 'war of aggression'.

Sassoon states that he is 'a soldier' 'acting on behalf of soldiers'.
By addressing himself and all his companions as simple soldiers and not mentioning his military rank (platoon commander), Sassoon suggests that on the battlefield ranks, and thus maybe pride and status, do not matter, since everyone get's heavily affected by the fights.
Sassoon has taken the glory out of the war, by showing that war only causes suffering.
The fact that 'defence and liberation' are no longer the aims of the war, only reinforces Sassoon's statement that the war being fought is not glorious, but seems to be 'evil and unjust'.

The main issue Sassoon has with fighting the war are it's aims.
He believes that 'men are being sacrificed' for 'a war of aggression and conquest'.
He also implies that there seems to be a large gap between the people in power and the soldiers and the reality of war and what 'the majority of those at home' think of it.
Those at home 'regard the continuance of agonies' with 'callous complacence'.
These phrases show how naive Sassoon thinks most people who stayed at home are and also suggests that it is unjust for them to feel any complacence at all, since they can not even imagine the 'agonies' of the soldiers.

In conclusion, Sassoon's declaration has the purpose of getting public attention and opening people's eyes to the horrors of war.
Sassoon is not relying on military authority to make a responsible decision, but rather decides to protest against the war publicly.

A Soldier's Declaration commentary

Beginning with a strong opening sentence, Sassoon immediately makes it clear that he is frustrated and perhaps a bit angry at the government, which Sassoon accuses of prolonging the war for “evil and unjust” reasons despite having “the power to end it”. He calls his declaration a “willful defiance of military authority”, which is insubordination, I believe that his cause is worthy and justifies the breach of discipline as soldiers are being sacrificed daily battlefields needlessly, especially when a peace treaty or ceasefire can easily be brokered between the warring nations.

Sassoon claims that he represents his fellow soldiers in his declaration, and believes that the objective of the war should have been set in stone at the beginning and cannot be changed as he feels that the purpose of the war has changed since the start – the war which was supposed to be a war of “defense and liberation” became a war of “aggression and conquest”, which means that the soldiers are now fighting a war they did not sign up for, and dying for it. Moreover, he thinks that peace can be negotiated with Germany as France had been recaptured by the Allies by 1917 and the warring factions would want to find a way to withdraw troops without surrender or retreat, but merely call it a draw.

Sassoon aims to eradicate the “callous complacence” of the general public with his declaration as he feels that they are ignorant of the fact that war is a terrible thing, and they do not share the soldiers’ horrifying experience of war nor do they have “sufficient imagination” to realize the atrocities of war the soldiers’ face everyday so they cannot understand how big a role they are playing by allowing the war to continue.

Sassoon's Declaration

Sassoon’s declaration is bold and defies the beliefs of political leaders of England at the time. The statement is written in first person, which makes it the more personal and confronting. The title of the declaration, ‘Finished with the war’, is extremely concise and makes one want to understand the reasoning behind such a powerful proclamation. Moreover, the title is immediately supported by evidence within the first line. Sassoon suggests that those who had the power to end the war were intentionally prolonging it. Blaming ‘super-powers’ in a declaration portrays the valiant character that Sassoon is and the extent he will go to share such confronting views. He continues by stressing how the war has changed. He says he entered the war trusting that he was defending and liberating, but he questions his role in the war, by saying it has become or always been a war of aggression and conquest.

Sassoon states he has endured and seen the tremendous suffering of troops, however its evident he has suffered much more. He has obviously has been scarred by the horror and consequences of war. Not only has he witnessed loss and suffering but saw the pointlessness of this act, as he states ‘fighting men are being sacrificed’ for political errors and insincerities. This particular quote defiantly challenges the role of soldiers in war. As a society we are lead to believe soldiers are heroes but they are never spoken of as sacrifices for political mistakes. This maybe because the statement is uncalled for, or it maybe because society chooses to ignore and overlook this, as soldiers have been so glorified we couldn’t bear to imagine them as only a surrender. Sassoon uses the term ‘we’ relentlessly throughout the declaration. This makes one wonder whether his declaration did correspond to the majority of the soldier’s thoughts of war, or if he was misusing the term to emphasize his own opinion. The experiences Sassoon provided, as evidence would most likely correlate with the soldiers, as they fought, lived and breathed on the same soil. When Sassoon mentions the impact of ‘agonies’ for those at home, it reinforces the horror of war. This declaration is cry for help because it speaks from the heart and is written with honesty.

A Soldiers Declaration

This is a very moving extract as we learn about S. Sassoon's personal views on the war against Germany in 1917 and i admire his courage to run against the rest of the army to help his fellow soldiers.

We learn that Sassoon is unhappy with the way that the war is turning out and is angered by the authorities continued persistence for unnecessary violence: "The war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it." This can be seen as selfish but as we read on we learn that Sassoon is not concerned with his own welfare but of that of others. Sassoon also expresses how he believes the reasons for war have changed recently: "for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust." We as readers can understand how guilty Sassoon must be feeling because he is no longer fighting for "liberation" which could be seen as morally accepted but to fight for land and power in his eyes is wrong making us admire him for speaking out against such actions.

In this declaration Sassoon focuses greatly on the suffering the war is causing his comrades: "I have seen and endured the suffering of the troops." This shows how caring Sassoon was to risk speaking out against the authorities on behalf of his men and it makes us admire his character and his courage.Sassoon at the end of his declaration: "On behalf of all those suffering." he hopes to prevent all the unnecessary suffering caused by the authorities who cant imagine what the soldiers have to endure: "They have not sufficient imagination to realize." This last comment makes us as readers fell anger towards authorities who are to selfish to see what they are causing and to me this declaration is a very brave attempt to spare thousands of people many more months of suffering for such and unjust cause.

Sassoon’s Declaration

Regeneration: Sassoon’s Declaration

Sassoon’s declaration is impressive in its frankness and complexity of thought. Sassoon comes across as extremely bold, attempting to hide nothing, clearly declaring the document as “an act of wilful defiance of military authority” in the very first sentence. Seemingly fearless, Sassoon accuses political leaders of being “evil and unjust” and plainly expresses his opinion that most non-combatants are “callous”. This extremely direct language did not waver throughout the entire declaration. Sassoon also seems extremely intelligent, his Declaration obviously not fueled by merely a moment of passion. Sassoon denies “protesting against the conduct of war”. Instead, Sassoon objects soldiers being killed for reasons he believes are “political errors and insincerities”. Readers immediately realise that Sassoon had thought hard and long before reaching the argument presented in his declaration. In beginning the novel with such a direct and powerful declaration, Barker connect readers with Sassoon as a character after only the very first page.

I admire Sassoon’s courage in choosing possibly the most difficult path. Even under extreme pressure from commanders, Sassoon still manages to protest against the war in such a public manner. It is clear that Sassoon does not object to the war due to cowardice--if he were a coward, he would simply choose to argue against the war from moral, pacifist grounds. Instead, Sassoon boldly chooses a middle ground: neither disliking or approving of war, but simply expressing suspicion and distrust of those in power who lead nations into war. Even more impressive in his boldness, Sassoon criticizes not only the world's leaders, but also noncombatants who allow world leaders to send their families to war. Sassoon believes citizens safely at home could not even begin to comprehend the true horrors of war. Seeming to hold nothing back, Sassoon critisizes all those he believes deserve criticism-- and it is because of this readers are convinced that he is purely "acting on behalf of soldiers".

Sassoon's Declaration: A Call for Integrity

Sassoon’s declaration is very strong, containing a lot of powerful opinions on the struggles of soldiers whilst at war. I think what Sassoon is trying to explain is that maybe in the beginning there were certainly heavy reasons for why they should fight, but after months of living in trenches and warfare, the reasons are becoming doubtful, and the aspect of war becoming less glamourous and noble. Sassoon is clearly shaken by his experiences while fighting, as he describes his struggles as ‘sufferings’ and ‘evil’, showing that he has suffered a great deal and has witnessed such traumatising acts that society’s initial thoughts of fighting for your nation as being great and honourable just seem wrong and unjust, as millions of young men are sacrificing their lives everyday.

He definitely does not want to go through the same thing again, and the idea of letting more and more innocent men experience such pain and agony unnerves him. Sassoon expresses some anger and displeasure with those who think that being in his state is such an amazing experience, possibly to those who have strongly encouraged their men to go out and fight, and he clearly wants to set things straight. Those who are in the comfort of their own homes don’t realize the amount of anguish and suffering that the soldiers go through for the benefit of their nation, because of the sugarcoated facts that the government has fed them and through his declaration, Sassoon wants all these lies to stop, and the true image of war to be revealed to the public.

I agree with Sassoon’s belief that the war has gone on for far too long, because violence seems like the only things it can do is to either scare or anger the enemy, and doesn’t solve any problems- only making them bigger than they already area and lengthening the process in which it could be solved. It’s depressing what the soldiers like Sassoon have been forced, and in some ways tricked, to do, and the consequences which they have to endure after: scarred mentally and physically, or dead.

Sassoon's declaration: A sane man's words.

Sassoon’s declaration is fully justified and is coming from a sane mind, talking with experience. I find his reasoning for writing the declaration something I could empathize with, as I myself would protest against the massacre of innocent men for governments’ vengeance on one another, as cruelty and sin is not a reason to serve and die for your nation.

These men joined the war thinking they were protecting their nation from unlawful acts, but now find themselves contributing to the suffering and pain these men went through. Sassoon himself is a man of military background, but even his dedication for the army didn’t stop him realizing there was nothing left moral or liberating about the war.

He speaks of his traumatic experiences, and how he is aware that those at home may think they understand and could imagine what these soldiers have been through, but he also emphasizes that unless you have experienced it for yourself, you could not even begin to imagine the agonizing suffering these men go through.

I agree that those soldiers have been deceived and are being slaughtered like cows for reasons they are not to blame for, and Sassoon’s declaration was merely an act of good will, to try and save what is left of his fellow soldiers, as he knows what they have been through and has gone through it himself. He is not running away out of cowardly thoughts, but out of self preservation, as enduring the war anymore would only turn him to insanity.

Welcome New IB English A1 Students

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Questions on "One or two things" by Mary Oliver

1. In stanza 2 of the poem, the flight of a butterfly is described. Comment on the significance of this in the poem as a whole.

2. What is the effect created by lines 18-20, "dog voice / crow voice / frog voice." What is it telling use about the god of dirt?

3. Discuss the meaning of the the first stanza "don't bother me / I've just / been born"

4. What is the message that the poetic voice is trying to convey in the poem?

5. Pick one aspect of the poem (punctuation, metaphors, assonance, rhythm, etc) that you find to be particularly interesting and explain why that is so.

Questions on "Ice" by Mary Oliver

1. What is the overall tone of the poem, and how is this established?
2. What is the relationship between the poetic voice and other members of her family and how is this communicated?
3. What is the effect of the two-line stanzas and how does this affect the reading of the poem?
4. What connotations does 'black ice' have in the thirteenth stanza?
   
5. Why does the poetic voice ask her mother to 'please save everything' in the last stanza?
   

Questions on Mary Oliver's Sleeping In The Forest

1. Explain the plot of the poem.
2. What is the tone of the poem?
3. Comment on the structure of the poem.
4. What are the poetic voice's actions referring to? What is the effect?
5. List the literary devices used in the construction of this poem. What are each of their purpose?

Questions on Dream

1. What is the effect of the rhymes in the last three lines of stanza 3?
2. What does the rain represent in the poem?
3. What is the significance of the foliage referred to in stanza 2?
4. What does the diction use in the first 2 lines of stanza 2 suggest?
5. What does the poetic voice mean by "before they turn some corner and became two graves under the leaves"?

Questions: New York Is a Subway Stop - 1969

1. What is the tone of the poem?

2. How is New York personified in the poem? What is the effect of this?

3. What does the imagery of "odd" lovers add to the poem?

4. What is the poetic voice saying about New York?

5. What do the last three lines of the poem suggest about New York? Is this different to the previous image that has been created in the poem?

Sunrise Questions

1. What is the tone of the poem?

2. What/who is the poetic voice in the poem?

3. What is the effect of starting the poem with the idea of death?

4. What does it mean to "enter fire" in the last stanza?

Lorna Goodison's 'On Houses' - Questions

1. Who is the speaker in the poem? Who is the speaker referring to as 'you'?

2. What does the fifth and sixth line mean?

3. Comment on the shift in tone between the first and last three stanzas in the poem. What is the effect?

4. What is "careful money" referring to?

5. What is the effect of the 7th stanza containing merely one line?

Acid by Mary Oliver Questions

1. How is the boy in the poem described? What effect does this have on the persona's feelings for the moment?
2. What connotations does 'a bead of acid' have?
3. How is pain and suffering conveyed through the language used?
4. What is the phrase 'the great movers' referring to?
5. What are the main themes of the poem?

Ode to A Nightingale

Link for more information on the inspiration behind Keats' poem:

http://englishhistory.net/keats/poetry/odetoanightingale.html

Ode to Psyche- "soft conched ear"

In Ode to Psyche by Keats, the poestic voice refers to Psyche's "soft-conched ear" in line 4.

A conch shell looks like this (see above)

Notice the pinkish skin colour of the inside of the conch and how it does have the shape of a human ear.

Just thought it would be nice to post up the picture so everyone can picture the imagery in the poem more clearly :)

The Sweatshop Child

They click their clocks to clogged hearts
Force clobbered, cracked bones craft
Such senseless acts will reinact
As we will tempt it back

You'll beat for blood branded oaths
To back yourselves in beauty clothes
Must every store and every isle?
Steal life from every child?

Might children croon for little cradle
The corporate cost, such craze a fable
Will tell their tale like timed task
To tempt their tampered moral mask