The portrayals of violence and horror in Siegfried Sassoon's "Survivors" and Wilfred Owen's "The Dead-Beat" showcase both similarities and differences stemming from the influence of Sassoon's poetry on Owen's work. The title "Survivors" itself suggests the tragedy of World War I that the soldiers fought through, and highlights their resilience as well as the potentially fatal outcomes of their comrades.
As one delves deeper into the content of the poem, it becomes evident that the soldiers did not emerge from the catastrophe without injury. The phrase "the shock and strained" graphically illustrates the soldiers' mental state, with the alliteration used adding further emphasis to the point. Surprisingly, the title of Owens' poem 'The Dead-Beat' gives the impression of a slow and hopeless character, rather than an active one. This creates a paradox as 'The Dead-Beat' is actually more vivid than Sasso
...on's poem and progresses at a faster pace. It begins with "he dropped--", immediately creating images of dead bodies and worn-out soldiers and displaying the violence of the scene without any need for descriptions or settings. In contrast, Sassoon's poem begins conversationally with "no doubt they'll soon get well", creating a dispassionate tone and mocking the general public's ignorance. However, despite the calm opening, Sassoon quickly progresses into lucid narrations of the soldiers with descriptions such as "old, scared faces", portraying how their experiences have aged them.
The author doesn't explicitly describe the suffering experienced by these soldiers, but instead suggests it with subtlety, allowing the reader's imagination to make it more personal and realistic. Owen uses a similar technique to portray horror, avoiding gore and instead depicting a scene where a soldier is mistreated by hi
comrades. This is shocking because soldiers are supposed to support and protect each other, yet here they are shown as heartless and malicious. Even the stretcher-bearers "wink" and the doctor jokes about the situation, finding it amusing while the soldier suffers in agony.
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