World War I: Propaganda Essay Example
World War I: Propaganda Essay Example

World War I: Propaganda Essay Example

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  • Pages: 12 (3112 words)
  • Published: July 27, 2017
  • Type: Research Paper
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In World War One, the British army relied on volunteers because of their limited number of soldiers. However, conscription was introduced by the government in 1918 due to a shortage of new recruits and a high mortality rate. This mandatory enlistment required unmarried men between the ages of 18 and 41 to join the army.

As of May, casualties on the front remained high and conscription rules were altered. Men aged 18 to 41, regardless of marital status, were now required to enlist. Later on, due to the alarming death tolls, conscription began including boys and elderly men. The age range was constantly expanding in an effort to replenish the shrinking number of soldiers. Even as the British acknowledged the immense losses, they continued to send more troops, which seemed nonsensical considering the already high casualty rates.

Several generations, includin

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g grandparents, parents, and young boys, were being wiped out by the war. This included three generations alone on the fronts, not taking into account the casualties at the Home Front, such as children and babies. In a desperate attempt to encourage volunteers to enlist in the army, propaganda was utilized. Both the government and various poets and journalists produced powerful sources, including posters with pictures and half-truthful writing to persuade people to join.

Among the ways that writers encouraged men to join the army during wartime, poetry was commonly used to encourage enlistment. Although not all poems about war were specifically about combat, many compared it to everyday experiences, such as games. Even though war is not a game, some writers found that comparing it to an activity with which men were familiar was effective in increasing recruitment.

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Jesse Pope, for instance, wrote a poem titled "Who's for the Game?" that likened war to a sporting event. While this may seem inappropriate, given the seriousness of warfare, it appealed to many men who were fans of team sports.

In addition to poetry, some women participated in a campaign to shame men into enlisting by giving them white feathers — a symbol of cowardice — if they did not join the army. If a fit and healthy man chose not to go to war, he would be seen as a coward, and women would sometimes publicly humiliate him by plastering him with these white feathers.

The societal pressure for women to only be seen in public with men in uniform was immense during wartime. Men desired female companionship and viewed their absence as a blow to their ego. This sentiment led many men to join the army in hopes of acquiring girlfriends. A recruitment poster depicts a man seated in an armchair with his young children nearby. The image represents a future that young men of the day could aspire to, with peaceful activities like chess being enjoyed. Using the past tense, the caption asks, "what did you do..." which further emphasizes the idea of this being a visionary moment. Click here to read about the game of nasty things questions.

Emphasis in the sentence is given to the past participle "did", making the question powerful and critical – pointing a finger at the recipient. The poster's visual representation suggests that the man avoided eye contact with his children in response the question, leaving his facial expression unclear and indicating that he did not achieve anything

great.

The man appears deep in thought, potentially considering either concocting a falsehood to relay to his kids or devising a way to dodge a question. He also seems ashamed of lacking heroic anecdotes for his young offspring. If a man during the poster's publishing in the war era read it, he would likely feel compelled to enlist in order to avoid being like the father depicted with only one cringe-worthy tale of failing to contribute on the battlefield. All fathers seek admiration from their children. Therefore, if they abstained from joining the military, the poster might insinuate that they would not be viewed as heroes or role models, and individuals aspire to emulate heroes. Consequently, if a man joined the army, his kids would view him as a hero worth looking up to.

To prevent potential humiliation, many men choose to sign up for enlistment to avoid being demeaned. This recruitment poster stands out from others as it solely consists of text, varying in size and lacking images. The text mostly employs personal pronouns, such as "your best-boy," referring to a woman's husband or boyfriend, and "worthy of you." This effective use of personal pronouns adds a personal touch to the poster.

The power of words like 'you' and 'your' surpasses those like 'her' as they capture attention and personalize the message. This poster targets young women with partners in the military, conveying that unless their partner is also in the army, he may not be deserving of their loyalty. By asking "Do you think he is worthy of you?", the poster prompts women to consider the worth of their partners. Furthermore, it implies that a man

who does not sign up for the military may be selfish as they do not believe that the woman and her country are worth fighting for. This messaging may cause the woman to rethink her relationship with her partner unless he too joins the army, leading the man to want to please his partner by signing up.

The poster draws a comparison between two women reading it: one with a partner at home and another with a partner fighting in the war. The message emphasizes that the latter woman's partner is fighting for her, her country, and also for the reader. It suggests that pity should not be given to the woman who is alone, as her partner is likely to be a soldier fighting for a greater cause. The term 'you' in bold and underlined highlights that the message is directed towards the reader, underscoring the idea that someone else's partner is making sacrifices for their benefit while their own partner may not be as committed.

According to the poster, reading that your man is not fighting for you could stir up jealousy. It also suggests that if a woman's partner neglects his duty to his King and country, he may neglect her too. This could worry her and lead her to ask him to enlist in the army. Jesse Pope, a journalist during the First World War, believed serving in the war was a young man's duty. She wrote famous recruitment poems that portrayed the war as a fun adventure. However, she tended to sugar-coat the truth about war. One of her poems is titled "Who's for the game?" which implies that war

is like a harmless game.

It is interesting that she refers to war as a game, as games are typically associated with harmless fun where there is little to no mortality. While minor injuries may occur, death is rare. Wilfred Owen, a soldier poet during the war, did not get along with her. He loathed her because he wrote poetry amidst the gunfire on the Western Front, whereas he saw her as another typical example of an "unfeeling civilian" supporting the war from the safe Home Front. Essentially, he felt that she lacked firsthand experience of the reality of war, and thus her poetry was uninformed and should not be commented upon.

"Who's for the game" is among Jesse Pope's most renowned recruitment poems, featuring a colloquial writing style. The poem uses phrases like "Come along lads..." to appeal to potential recruits.

'Come along' and 'lads' are examples of the effective informal language used in the poem to reach a broader audience, particularly those men who may not have had much formal education. The comparison between the war and a football game is consistently drawn throughout the poem, with football-related words like 'tackle' and 'seat in the stand' used to engage young men. This comparison is a powerful one, as it creates a sense of belonging and teamwork that is highly appealing to many men, ultimately encouraging more to sign up and join the cause.

The comparison made in the poem regarding war may have been unwise. While it encouraged men to enlist, it also made young boys feel the need to join in order to be part of the 'team'. This could lead to them signing up

without fully understanding that war is not a game, but a terrible reality where lives are lost. The poet's language minimizes the risks and dangers of war - such as the possibility of death. Her statement that it is better to return with a wound than to miss out on the fun implies that enlisting would be an enjoyable experience. Although injuries may occur, participating in the war would still be worth it.

The poem's structure resembles a game's chant, and the writer compares men with and without courage. She emphasizes the enthusiastic part, asking who will grip and tackle the job unafraid, and makes the part she would rather men didn't think about sound listless. In addition, the writer uses "Who wants to turn to himself in the show? And who wants a seat in the stand?" as a way to suggest that men can either participate and have a reason to "turn to himself" or watch from the sidelines and be part of nothing.

Those who participate in a football game are often remembered for their actions, while spectators are easily forgotten and replaced by the next game. Being a patriot, Rupert Brooke held the belief that death was not to be feared. He believed that it was preferable to die while fighting for a cause than to die having done nothing. According to the poet, death is both the worst enemy and friend. It is an enemy because it cannot fight and remains at peace; it is a friend because once dead, one can no longer fight for their country.

He believed that dying fighting for his country was better than passing away as an

old coward who did nothing to aid his nation. In his poem, he mentions "Swimmers into cleanness leaping" as a metaphor for moving forward in life and avoiding stagnation. The poem's title is ironic because war is not peaceful, but it may have been chosen because the goal of war is often to bring about peace. Death is a prevalent aspect of war, and those who die are seen as finding peace from the troubles of human existence, which may also explain the unexpected title.

Wilfred Owen, who was 25 years old when he passed away in 1918, was born in 1893. He served as a teacher at an elementary school located in Shrewsbury before assisting a vicar in Dunsden, Oxfordshire. His job nearly led him to a nervous breakdown. Afterwards, he went to France to privately tutor families during the outbreak of war in Germany.

Enlisting in the Artists Rifles in 1915, he was commissioned in Manchester and sent to France in 1916 where he experienced firsthand the realities of war. His time in the trenches transformed him from a selfish youth into a compassionate man who prioritized his fellow soldiers. While he had previously written bleak poetry, his experiences during the war gave his writing greater purpose and direction.

After experiencing shell shock and returning to Britain, the poet met fellow patient Seigfried Sassoon at a hospital. They quickly became acquainted and within two years, Owen produced some of his finest poems about the war, such as "Dulcet Et Decorum Est" and "Anthem for Doomed Youth". Despite not being required to do so, Owen returned to France in August 1918 to fight in the final

part of the battle. Tragically, just one week before peace was declared, he was killed by machine gun fire. Having firsthand experience of the war made Owen a more credible source than Jesse Pope who often lied when recruiting soldiers. Unlike Pope, Owen didn't shy away from expressing that the war was terrible with too many young lives being thrown away. Through his poetry, he shared experiences from trenches with those on Home Front.

In contrast to Owen, Brooke lacked thoughtfulness towards other people's lives, as she lacked his firsthand experience of pain and suffering; had she undergone similar experiences, her writing style may have differed. Owen provided a more trustworthy account than Brooke, as he served in the War longer before his death from blood poisoning. His poem is a candid depiction of soldiers, unapologetically highlighting their treatment and physical condition through the use of similes.

Describing the old beggars as being under sacks emphasizes the burden of their backpacks causing them to appear crooked and filthy. Their poor health is portrayed through the imagery of coughing like hags, as hags are known for their terrible coughs which are unpleasant to hear. The association with hags, who are typically considered unclean individuals, heightens the harshness of their coughing.

Using metaphors, Owen portrays the men as being exhausted to the point of resembling sleeping soldiers. He introduces the phrase "drunk with fatigue" to emphasize the soldiers’ extreme weariness. The use of "drunk" suggests that they are so tired that they are practically unable to function. Like someone who is inebriated, these soldiers are forgetful and capable of performing actions that they wouldn’t normally do. Owen's vivid depiction

of a gas attack is also noteworthy.

The presence of notwithstanding, the passage could beand unified as follows: The vividly written warning, "Gas! Gas! Quick boys! ...," expertly conveys a sense of urgency and immediacy, pulling readers in and placing them in the tense situation. The addition of exclamation marks after each word adds emphasis and indicates a loud, urgent delivery, while the following line continues to heighten the tension.

According to the phrase "An ecstasy of fumbling," it can be deduced that the individuals had difficulty donning the gas masks, likely due to clumsiness or dropping the mask while putting it on.

It was evident that the men were in a rush and couldn't risk any mistakes. The mention of "ecstasy" indicated their haste, as being ecstatic often leads to restlessness or anxiety. Therefore, they had to quickly put on their gas masks without being too awkward.

In this quote, Owen vividly recounts his haunting memories of the gas attacks. His encounter with a colleague who drowned in the gas during an attack left a deep imprint on him. Using powerful adjectives like 'guttering', 'choking', and 'drowning', Owen paints a horrifying picture that is still etched in his mind. The rule of three formed by these words intensifies the impact of his statement and makes it all the more moving.

The poem portrays a horrific image of a man coughing and disappearing under gas, conveying the message that war is a dreadful thing. The poet describes the scene based on his firsthand experience, trying to raise awareness about its adverse effects. The title seems contradictory as it suggests that dying for one's country is honorable; however, the

poet explicitly portrays how terrible war and death in it are. The title might have suited Jesse Pope's opinion, but Owen uses it to capture the reader's attention and then disprove its validity at the end.

"Dulce et decorum est, Pro patria mori" - with such enthusiasm, one should not tell children eager for glory that it is sweet and proper to die for one's country. The speaker asserts that it is not right for children to fight for a cause solely for the sake of being celebrated and dying in horrifying ways. This view appears unjust when considering that young lives are being sacrificed for wars initiated by adults. "Disabled" is a poignant poem about a soldier who went to war believing it would be a thrilling experience, only to return with just one arm. The powerful imagery comparing his life before and after the war elicited strong emotions. Owen depicts the man who used to socialize with friends, flirt, and play football now as a vulnerable figure."

The poem describes a man who, due to the war, has lost his independence and even the clothes he wears are not his own. He spends his days sitting in a hospital, wearing a donated suit, waiting for night to come so he can go to bed. The man feels isolated and lonely, as he can no longer experience the touch of a woman or the joy of youthful activities. He is hurt by the looks of girls who see him as "some queer disease" because of his amputations. The poet questions why the nurses don't come to put him to bed, but it's possible that the

man wishes for them to end his suffering instead because he lacks his former usefulness. The loss of his previous life frustrates him greatly, and he cannot change or conceal it. Despite having fought in the war, he is now treated differently for being "not whole."

In Owen's poems, it is conveyed that enlisting in the army for improper reasons can result in dreadful outcomes. A soldier who joined to impress his lover became fearless of combat until he encountered its atrocities and sustained severe injuries. Nonetheless, he can flee into an alternate realm through his dreams. In essence, Owen's assertion is unambiguous: war must not be underestimated as its ramifications are frightful.

The author's argument centers on the disabled and their capacity to join the army. The author deems it unwise for individuals who are not capable of serving in the military to pretend otherwise. Through a young man's tragic story, the consequences of war are highlighted, emphasizing that too many men were losing their lives or getting seriously injured. The author hopes that this message will inspire action in England to end the war or improve treatment for those affected by it. Propaganda is seen as misleading, only presenting a partial view of the situation. Recruitment posters guilt people into joining while offering a white feather to men who refuse to fight pressures them into going against their beliefs unfairly.

I think that if the truth about war had been open and accessible to the public, conscripts would have had a choice whether or not to fight. Some men were labeled as cowards for their decision, but this wouldn't have happened if the truth wasn't concealed.

Propaganda ought to have been prohibited, and men should have been able to see both facts and opinions from others before deciding to fight. I believe that with these actions taken, fewer people would have enlisted in the war effort, resulting in a shorter war duration.

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