Commentary on ‘Cambodia’, by James Fenton Essay Sample

following dead. However on closer review. it could look to be a adult male either being sent off from the conflict.

or a adult male being called up for responsibility perchance stating his farewells to his household.The fact that a changeless subject throughout the verse form is that the first line contains a subsister. while the 2nd line depicts the dead or those who will shortly be dead. adds acceptance to this thought as does the fact that he is stating two will be left-presumably left behind in conflict. In the 2nd line James Fenton initiates a tendency that continues throughout the verse form of an increasing figure of people in the 2nd line of the stanza. As stated above.

this verse form is to concentrate on the dead and those who will decease and the 2nd line here adheres to that. He gives us false hope by stating that two shall be left. but so cruelly dashes that when he says that “two shall be left to die” .In the 3rd stanza we are told that a adult male shall give his best advice. but three work forces will decease as a consequence of it.

This is a mention to the habitually abysmal military intelligence that plagued these struggles and frequently led work forces into traps. In the 4th stanza we see that one adult male shall populate. but will populate a life of sorrow and to run into that one adult male lasting four work forces will hold to decease. This could be the cause of the man’s sorrow. as survivor’s guilt that frequently plagues the subsisters of war in these state of

affairss when they live.

but their companions don’t. In the 5th stanza we see the after-effects of war. the incubuss and flashbacks and the shellshock suffered. We see this expressed in many verse forms. but the minimal art of this line conceives an highly graphic and hence lurid image of the after-effects of war. The 2nd line besides describes that the adult male thinks it’s a incubus or a dream.

but it is really go oning and is world. War is so bad that it must look like a incubus to those involved. and this besides shows that there is no flight from war no affair where you are.The last stanza escapes the signifier of the old stanzas. in that it doesn’t have one adult male on the first line and so six work forces on the 2nd line. Alternatively it says “one adult male to five.

A million work forces to one. ” I think here that James Fenton is seeking to underscore that for the one adult male who started the war. a million must endure the effects. and besides that for every five people who stay at place and don’t go to war.

one adult male must decease. The last line. “And still they die. And still the war goes on. ” is a chilling reminder to us.

a line that is every bit barbarous as it is simple. This line feels loaded with choler. accusals. guilt and heartache and could be tabled as an accusal at those who are in ‘control’ of the conflicts as to why they won’t stop it.

It besides demonstrates how there is no terminal to war.

and that that must be peculiarly sharp to those involved.The construction of ‘Cambodia’ is so 5 stanzas of two lines which lets the verse form flow highly fast and lets the verse form acquire straight to the point. This makes it concise and about Alliess us to the verse form. instead than allowing us experience detached. The verse form is besides about lyrical and is presented in an about joking manner which merely heightens the daze and impact of his words when we get to the existent message.

As these verse forms were ever intended to be a signifier of anti-war propaganda ( a fact touched upon by the Washington Post Editorial Feature ) and so would be used as a manner of acquiring his message across to the multitudes. it is cagey that he gives us hope at the start of each line. Every first line starts optimistically like “One adult male shall live” which grants us false hope. before cruelly taking it off from us and demoing us that war doesn’t have happy terminations.

as is shown with this line which ends with “live to repent. ” Because we are hopeful at the start when we lose that hope we feel even more negative. which is a truly good maneuver for this signifier of propaganda.Although mentions have been made to this already. it is necessary to note once more upon the importance of the simplistic mentality of this verse form.

This is because it is this simpleness that allows James Fenton to convey successfully to us the daze. The simple construction lends the verse form a fast. snappish beat which ensures the poem

gets directly to the point. This creates non merely a tense atmosphere but guarantees that the reader will experience that this is an of import message. The simple words of no more than 6 or 7 words contrive to construct up lay waste toing images because they allow our imaginativenesss to run wild and believe up horrors far worse than words could.This verse form brings up an highly celebrated quotation mark by a adult male who committed some of the worst workss history has of all time seen.

largely against his ain people. Stalin one time commented that while “A individual decease is a calamity ; a million deceases is a statistic. ” While these words are ghastly. to a certain grade they are true.

Reading in the documents of one adult males epic decease is far more heart-rending than hearing that 1 million soldiers have died in the war so far. James Fenton uses that to his advantage here ; by ever maintaining the Numberss low – even when he talks about the million dead he reminds us that it is caused by one individual.As this was intended as a piece of anti-war propaganda. it is worthwhile to look at how effectual a piece it is.

To me. this is a brilliant illustration of how bad war is. but how simple it appears. Although non every bit comprehensive as pieces such as “Dulce et decorousness est” by Wilfred Owen. I think that it is far more lurid and persuasive than the aforesaid verse form. while non pulling on any personal experiences or depicting the detestable conditions of war.

It was published in infinite newspapers

and figured on cusps and anti-war presentations which shows its distinction and value. Even now it is an disposed and timely reminder about the hazards of war.