This excellent war poem uses a number of different
examples of figurative language very effectively to convey its message about the
brutality of war. There are certainly plenty of examples for you to focus on, so I will
pick out a few of my favourites.
The very first line of the
poem establishes a clear picture of the soldiers. However, they are not described as
glorious in their uniform and looking smart and happy to fight for their country. On the
contrary:
Bent
double, like old beggars under
sacks...
Note how this simile
almost dehumanises the soldiers, describing them as aged beggars with their spines bent
over. Also, they are described as being "under sacks" - war has reduced them to a state
of physical collapse, ageing them prematurely and sapping their youth and strength. This
image is one that is strengthened in the rest of this first shocking stanza. Note how
hyperbole is used:
All went lame; all
blind;
Drunk with
fatigue...
The soldiers are
so shocked by the war and what they have seen and they are so exhausted that it is as if
they are all lame and all blind - they are not able to see or focus on anything. Note
the use of the metaphor "Drunk with fatigue" which compares them to being drunk because
they are so exhausted they are not able to control their bodies, just like someone who
is drunk on alcohol.
These are just some examples, but
there are plenty more. You will want to focus on how the figurative language dehumanises
and makes the soldiers less than human - it is through such techniques that Owen shows
the horror of war.
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