In Mametz Wood, Sheers uses a metaphor to represent how the soldiers were fragile and their deaths very regrettable. Sheers describes seeing the “broken bird’s egg of a skull”, this conveys to the reader, that like an egg, people are easily broken. This makes the reader feel sympathetic for these soldiers as we understand that they were vulnerable and not protected when going into battle. Furthermore, the reference the noun “egg” is significant here as it emphasises how unnatural their deaths were and generally how unnatural conflict is. Alternatively, the noun “egg” could be representative of new life and this could highlight to the reader how these men are dead and that they will not have the chance to create new life. This suggests that war is futile and comes at the cost of human life and is not worth it. Moreover, the verb “broken” reflects to the reader that soldiers are not as tough as people may think and that they can easily be destroyed by conflict. Furthermore, it is strange to describe the men as broken because usually men die – they are killed – not “broken”. Perhaps Sheers is trying to convey here that the men were regarded with little significance and simply as pawns and toys in the bigger game of conflict. This makes the reader feel indignation at the brutal treatment the soldiers received and that even though they died, their deaths were unimportant as they were only toys.
In the falling leaves we see a similar theme of expressing regret for the dead soldiers and the idea that their deaths were pointless and avoidable. Similarly to Mametz Wood, Cole uses an extended metaphor to convey to the reader how the deaths of the soldiers were unnatural. The soldiers are described as “brown leaves dropping from their tree”. This is perhaps different to Mametz Wood as Cole seems to be implying here that like the falling of leaves from trees, the deaths of soldiers through conflict is inevitable and part of human life – it will always happen. This is different to Mametz Wood because it seems to suggest more that war is avoidable. Furthermore, the noun “tree” is significant as it reflects how the soldiers are leaves and are powerless and cannot stop themselves for falling, in the same way that they cannot prevent their deaths. This is similar to the idea in Mametz Wood that the soldiers are simply a pawns in war, this is suggested by the word “broken” and in the falling leaves “tree” represents the commanders who have the power and control over soldiers. Furthermore, the constant representation of soldiers as “leaves” conveys to the reader that, like in Mametz Wood where soldiers are described as “eggs”, soldiers are fragile and easily destroyed. This again contrasts to the sense that soldiers are always strong and solid, like in Mametz Wood. Moreover, the noun “brown” is significant here as it emphasises that these men are colourless and dead and that the life has been drained from them. It could also reflect how hopeless war is and that the soldiers felt great despair before their deaths. Cole may have presented the soldiers in this way to, like in Mametz Wood emphasise how their deaths are unnatural and contrast their deaths with nature.
Whilst both poets present the idea that the soldiers are dead and that they were fragile and vulnerable to conflict, there are also vast differences between the poems. One key difference is that Sheers uses a more active side of nature, such as animals with the reference of “bird” whereas Cole seems to use more passive aspects of nature, such as the “leaves”, Cole may have done this to emphasise how the soldiers will be forever still and passive now, like the “leaves”. Contrastingly, Sheers may have used livelier aspects to highlight to the reader that they died in action. Another key difference between these two poems is that the Falling Leaves is from the perspective of a woman from Britain during WWI, so is perhaps why it is more gentle and calm whereas Mametz Woods is from a male perspective many years after WWII at the battle grounds. This could perhaps also explain why the language in Mametz Wood is more violent to express to the reader Sheers indignation of the soldiers treatment.
In Mametz Wood, Sheers also uses an extended metaphor, which is similar to the falling leaves metaphor, of birds and nature. First he mentions the “bird’s egg” and later on he describes how the soldiers walked “towards the wood and its nesting machine guns”. The word “nesting” conveys to the reader that the men were perhaps not aware of the dangers of the woods because they thought that the woods were peaceful and calm and like a bird. Furthermore, it could emphasise how the orders the men were given were wrong. This is because the machine guns were “nesting” which conveys that if they were to leave their “nests” they would be vulnerable and unable to survive. This evokes sympathy from the reader because we can understand here that their deaths were unnecessary here and that they should not have attacked but waited. Morover, the use of the metaphor “nesting” to describe the machine guns could have been done to reflect how the soldiers are like animals and were willing to attack the British soldiers when they were vulnerable and did not stand a chance. Alternatively, “nesting machine guns” is an oxymoron and this could be used to emphasise to the reader that the men stood no chance against such power. Sheers may have described the machine guns with an animal like quality to convey to the reader the brutality with which the soldiers were killed.
Similarly in the Falling Leaves, the soldiers are described to have died an unnatural death by weapons, like the soldiers in Mametz Wood. In the Falling Leaves, Cole describes that the men were “slain by no wind of age or pestilence”. The fact that these men did not die from “pestilence” suggests that they may have suffered even more in conflict. Alternatively, “pestilence” could metaphorically represent how war is like a disease and it is contagious and spreads everywhere. This also emphasises the idea that conflict is inevitable and will continue to occur. Furthermore, the verb “slain” is significant here as it could reflect the soldiers bravery for going to war and strength once they were there. This makes the reader feel pride and gives us the sense that these men were patriotic. However, this is different to Mametz Wood as poem give a more forceful anti-war message and does not focus on the idea that these men were brave for going to war but that their actions were simply regrettable. Also there are not dead because of the “wind of age”, this could reflect how their deaths are unnatural and highlights to the reader that the soldiers do not have any future. Cole may have described the deaths of soldiers in this way to suggest, like in Mametz Wood that the deaths of young soldiers means that they have no future and their lives have been wasted.
Both poems deplore a deep sense of regret and consistently use nature throughout their poems as extended metaphors to reflect how the soldiers deaths were not natural. Both writers evoke the readers sympathy and make the reader remember how the cost of war came at such a great cost because both poems how it was “multitudes” of men that died. Alternatively, the aspect of nature is used in the Falling Leaves to describe the soldiers themselves to perhaps suggest that death always occurs and is unpreventable, whereas Mametz Wood uses nature to repeatedly describe weapons to emphasise their danger.
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