ANTI WAR LITERATURE

COMPARISION

Project by:
Namratha Nagubandi
Grade 10
Future Kids School
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Primarily I would thank God for being able to complete this project
with success. Then I would like to thank my english teacher Mr. Anil sir
and our principal Ms.Saritha mam whose valuable guidance has been
the ones that helped me patch this project and make it full proof
success his suggestions and his instructions has served as the major
contributor towards the completion of the project.
Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who have helped me
with their valuable suggestions and guidance has been helpful in
various phases of the completion of the project.
Last but not the least I would like to thank my classmates who have
helped me a lot.
 POEM COMPARISION

“Insensibility” and “After Blenheim are the anti war poems.

Wilfred Owen's poem "Insensibility" was written during the First World War, and it
tackles the psychological repercussions of battle on troops, both long-term and
short-term. The title of the poem alludes to the troops' loss of feeling as a result of
the horrors they witnessed on the Western Front during WWI.
Robert Southey's anti-war poem "After Blenheim" The Battle of Blenheim, which
took place in 1704, is described in this poem through a discussion between an
elderly man and his grandchildren. This poem illustrates a common man's
ignorance of war's casualties and the futility of its grandeur.
INSENSIBILITY
WILFRED OWEN
From August 1917 to September 1918, Wilfred Owen,
who penned some of the best British poetry about
World War I, wrote nearly all of his poems in just over
a year. He was killed in combat at the age of 25 in
November 1918, one week before the Armistice. In
his lifetime, he only had five poems published: three
in the Nation and two anonymously in the Hydra, a
journal he edited while a patient at Craiglockhart War
Hospital in Edinburgh in 1917. Seven additional of his
poems published shortly after his death in the 1919
volume of Edith Sitwell's yearly anthology, Wheels: a
volume devoted to his memory, and seven more
poems published in journals in 1919 and 1920.
INSENSIBILITY

Happy are men who yet before they are killed

Can let their veins run cold.
Whom no compassion fleers
Or makes their feet
Sore on the alleys cobbled with their brothers.
The front line withers.
But they are troops who fade, not flowers,
For poets’ tearful fooling:
Men, gaps for filling:
Losses, who might have fought
Longer; but no one bothers.
 SUMMARY OF “INSENSIBILITY”
Those men who can rid their veins of warmth and who do not let compassion affect them before they die are happy.
The front line breaks, and those men are fading troops, not flowers for poets to play with. They are barely men,
merely "gaps for filling" and the numbers in the official losses. No one cares about them.Some of them stop feeling
any emotion, for themselves or for others. Dullness is the solution for the incessant shelling. It is easier to rely on
chance rather than trying to figure out when the shells might fall. They do not even bother trying to assess the
destruction of the armies in the war.Those who no longer have an imagination are also happier; imagination is too
heavy a weight when they have to carry their packs and ammunition around. Old wounds do not ache anymore. They
are not even affected by the color of blood, having seen "all things red" in battle. The pulsing of terror is over. Their
senses have been ironed and cauterized, and they are able to laugh even among the dying, completely unfeeling.The
soldier at home is happy, as he does not know about the dawn full of attacks. The boy whose mind was never trained
is happy as he sings along the march. The march is long and dreary and unceasing, "from larger day to huger
night".Those wise soldiers cannot think how else to view their task. They are not overly necessary while alive, and are
not valuable when they are dying. They are not sad or prideful or even curious. The speaker wonders how their
attitudes are different from "old men's placidity".However, these "dullards" are cursed as they stand like stones
before cannons. They are wretched and base. It was their choice to make themselves immune to feeling and pity and
the part of man that causes him to moan before the stars. They do not care about what mourns when men die, or
what "shares / The eternal reciprocity of tears".
AFTER BLENHEIM
ROBERT SOUTHEY
Robert Southey (August 12, 1774 – March 21,
1843) was an English Romantic poet who served as
Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Southey,
like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, began as a radical but
gradually became more conservative as he gained
respect for Britain and its institutions. Other
romantics, most notably Byron, accused him of
siding with the establishment for financial and
social gain. He is best known for his poem After
Blenheim and the original version of Goldilocks
and the Three Bears.
 SUMMARY OF “AFTER BLENHEIM”
The poem is set around the Anglicized name for the German village of
Blenheim, which is located on the left bank of the Danube River in the
German state of Bavaria. The poem begins with two small children
asking questions about a skull that one of them discovered while
playing near their cottage. The youngsters approach their grandfather,
who is startled and intrigued, and question him about it.Kaspar then
tells the two children about a long-ago war. He paints a vivid picture of
war's horrors. Regardless, he does not condemn the war in its entirety.
The poem concludes on a perplexing note, as implied by the frequent
use of the phrase "a famous victory," which he associates with the war
at the time.
THEME COMPARISION
In the poem “INSENSIBILITY” Love and brotherhood, compassion and
concern are themes that Owen deals with elsewhere but that are turned on
their heads in Insensibility. In line 5, the living trample on the bodies of ‘their
brothers,' but ‘no one cares,' l.11. Owen struggles with the fact that, as one
of the 'wise,' he is expected to be more'sensible' than his men, yet survival is
more likely if he is dulled to the tragedy around him, rather than having a
soul besmirched with blood. To survive, men must allow their ‘veins to run
cold' l.2; that is, they must not allow themselves to feel human warmth. In
Owen's nightmare world, the men who are "happy" are those "who flee no
compassion." Compassion has turned into a monster as well. In Insensibility,
Owen shows how this most human of emotions is viewed as an enemy,
mocking the "happy man" who cannot risk compassion in order to survive
the horror.
 Southey's poem “After Blenheim” is an anti-war poem. He is ironic
here to present the fact that people in general glorify war and war-
heroes without knowing what good it does to mankind or why a victory
is called 'great' or 'famous'. In the poem we see that Old Kaspar
repeatedly mentions the Battle of Blenheim as a great and famous
victory but he does not know the reason. He has a romantic view of
war even after receiving the sufferings himself during the war and after
thousands of killings. This is all about the hollow romantic ideals
regarding war that warmongers have created very carefully in people's
minds. Southey's poem is a protest against the heroic ideals of war.
 POETIC DEVICES COMPARISION
The poetic devises used in “Insensibility” poem ate are a follows:-
• Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas and qualities by imbuing them with symbolic meanings
that differ from their literal meanings. ‘All things red’ represents the blood and destruction of war in this
context. The ‘Last Sea’ represents impending death.
• Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds along the same lines. For example, /s/ in "Before the last
sea and the hapless stars," /r/ in "His days are worth forgetting more than not," and /f/ in "For poets' tearful
fooling.“
• Imagery is used to persuade readers to use their five senses to perceive things. For example, “Sore on the
alleys cobbled with their brothers”, “But they are troops who fade, not flowers” and “Happy the
soldier home, with not a notion.”
• Alliteration is the quick repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /f/ in "But they
are troops who fade, not flowers," and the sound of /s/ in "Their senses in some scorching cautery of battle"
or "We wise, who besmirch with a thought.“
• Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line is referred to as assonance. For example, the
/e/ sound in "How should we see our task?“
• Enjambment is defined as a thought in verse that does not end with a line break, but instead continues in the
next verse.
The poetic devices used in “After Blenheim” are as follows:-
• Rhyme:-The end rhyme in each stanna except in the second stanze is
abcbdd.That is the second line rhymes with the fourth, and the last two lines
rhyme with each other.
• Allitration :-Alliteration is the repetition of a speech sound in sequence of
nearby words. The term is usually applied only to consonants, and only when
the recurrent sound begins a word or a stressed syllable within a word. In
several stanzas, Southey uses alteration to promote rhythm.
• Repetetion:- At the end of almost each stanza,there is a repetition of an ideas
of great victory in which the English “put the French to rout.” Throughout the
poem Kasper repeats the victory being famous or great despite being ignorant
of purpose of the war.
 STORY COMPARISION
The “Guests of the Nation ” and the “Old man at the bridge” are anti war short stories.

"Guests of the Nation" is a short storey written by Frank O'Connor that was first
published in 1931 and depicts the execution of two Englishmen held captive by the
Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence. The storey is divided into four
sections, each with a distinct tone. The first reveals a genuine sense of camaraderie
among the English detainees. After the two Englishmen are killed, the story's final
lines describe the nauseating effect this has on the Irishmen.
"Old Man at the Bridge" is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway, published in
1938, is about a conversation between a young soldier and an old man who had to
leave his hometown during the Spanish Civil War. The story conveys the common
problem of helpless victim, especially old people, during hard times such as war.
GUESTS OF THE NATION
FRANK O’CONNOR
Frank O’Connor, pseudonym
of Michael O’Donovan, (born
1903, Cork, County Cork, Ireland—
died March 10, 1966, Dublin), Irish
playwright, novelist, and short-story
writer who, as a critic and as a
translator of Gaelic works from the
9th to the 20th century, served as an
interpreter of Irish life
and literature to the English-
speaking world.
SUMMARY OF “GUESTS OF THE NATION”
Based on Frank O' Connor's breathtaking short story, Guests of a Nation
takes place during the Irish War of Independence, a blood struggle that
set Irish freedom fighters against British military. The story revolves
around two Irish soldiers, passionate Bonaparte and naive Noble, who
are charged with the task of minding British captives Belcher and
Hawkins. Though their countries are at war, inside their secluded
farmhouse the four men form an unlikely friendship over religious
debates and late-night card games. However, when the time comes for
the British soldiers to face punishment for their actions, the Irishmen
are torn between showing loyalty to their country and mercy towards
their friends. Guests of a Nation is a heart-wrenching film about loyalty,
compassion, and the loss of innocence.
OLD MAN AT THE BRIDGE
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2,
1961) was a novelist, short-story writer, journalist,
and sportsman from the United States. His
economical and understated style, which he dubbed
the "iceberg theory," had a significant influence on
twentieth-century fiction, while his adventurous
lifestyle and public image earned him admiration
from later generations. Hemingway wrote the
majority of his work between the mid-1920s and the
mid-1950s, and he received the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1954. He wrote seven novels, six
collections of short stories, and two nonfiction
works. Posthumously, three of his novels, four short-
story collections, and three nonfiction works were
published.
 SUMMARY OF “OLD MAN AT THE BRIDGE”
The plot of the story is set at a pontoon bridge near the Ebro Delta, on an Easter Sunday, during the Spanish Civil
War. The enemy attack is anticipated. The area is being evacuated. All civilians are crossing the bridge to save
themselves. The narrator, who was a young army officer, had the duty to watch the advancement of the enemy,
notices an old man, the protagonist of the story, sitting by the side of the road. He wore steel framed spectacles
and very dusty clothes. The officer is constantly keeping a watch across the bridge. He observes that the people
and the cart on the bridge were reducing. He finally approaches the old man and questions him. The old man
tells him that he had just travelled two kilometers from his village of San Carlos and cannot walk further as he is
extremely tired. He adds that he was the last man to leave the village. There his duty was to take care of his
animals which consisted of a cat, two goats and four pairs of pigeons. They were his family and he was very
anxious about them. He says that the cat will be fine because cats can look afterthemselves, but he doesn't know
what will happen to the other animals.The narrator who was nervously awaiting the advent of the enemy is
concerned about the old man's safety and tells him to walk up the road and catch a ride on a truck to Barcelona.
But the old man states that he is seventy six years old, had already travelled much and will not be able to go any
further. All the more, the safety of his animals was disturbing him. But the narrator assures him that his animals
will be fine. The pigeons will fly away, but the old man still worries about the goats. The narrator consoles him
saying it is better not to think about it. The old man takes an effort to get up and walk but he is too exhausted
and is unable to proceed. The story ends with the narrator thinking that the old man's only luck is that the cats
can look after themselves and that the day is overcast so the fascists aren't able to launch the planes.
THEMES
The main theme of the story, “Guest of the Nation” is the conflict between duty and
humanitarianism, is clearly enunciated in two signature passages (technically, places in which
the author explicitly articulates his theme). The first is in section 3 in the interchange between
Donovan and Bonaparte about duty; the second, in section 4, in the interchange between
Donovan and Belcher about the same subject. In these and other passages, the story shows
that unlike Donovan, Bonaparte and Belcher, as well as Noble, Hawkins, and the old woman,
move beyond a circumscribed conception of nationalistic duty to a sympathy and compassion
for their fellow human beings that transcend the borders and politics of separate countries.
Thus, unlike Donovan, the other major characters feel that harming another human being
who is both friendly and innocent is wrong, even in the name of patriotic duty. The
Englishmen’s “peculiar” expression “chums,” picked up by Bonaparte and Noble and repeated
seventeen times in the story, embodies the idea of the paramount importance of friendship
or humanitarian sympathy. So, too, does the biblical genealogy that Hawkins scorns as “silly”
in one of his arguments with Noble. Hawkins does not realize that Old Testament genealogies
suggest by way of descent from a common ancestor the brotherhood of humankind, making
humankind a nation that surmounts individual countries—a belief that would have saved his
life, which is instead sacrificed because of the conflict between the two countries of England
and Ireland.
The theme of the story “Old Man at the Bridge” is sense of duty. The old man encounters the soldier
at the bridge. The town has to be evacuated due to artillery. The young soldier’s duty is to make sure
that everybody has left the town. When the narrator sees the old man sitting at the same place while
exploring the region, he feels empathy for him and as a part of his duty, urges him to leave the place.
But the old man is too tired to move and above all his caring nature and duty to take care of his
animals restricts him from going.The story conveys the problems faced by the innocent and
helpless victims, especially the old people. It’s a short but heart touching story. The language is
simple and unnecessary usage of sentimental words is being avoided. The climax is missing and
everything is left on reader’s opinion.The story consists of lots of metaphors and symbols. One of
the symbols is bridge which reflects risks, dangers and uncertainty which equalizes the feeling of
people during wartime. People feel insecure and unsafe and are frightened but they do not want to
give up.The bridge is symbolic of life too, on one side there is death as the enemy is approaching
and on the other side there is life if one gets success in fleeing. Then it’s Easter Sunday which
signifies the hope and faith in God. Refugees have the same kind of feeling. They feel insecurity and
danger on one hand and on the other they have faith in God and their army men. Animals are also
used as symbols in the story.The pigeons are the symbol of peace which will fly away from the war
as the refugees will. The cat is independent and does not need anybody’s help whereas the goat is a
meek and submissive animal. Old man’s situation in the story is like the goat that is helpless. The
end is abrupt and the ironical situation arises when the old man is left to his fate whereas it’s an
Easter Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection.
 SETTINGS
• The setting of the story,Guests of the Nation is a cottage in the countryside of Ireland. It is owned by an old
woman and, probably, located at a hidden place in the country. The choice of a cottage away from any crowd
as the setting contributes to the focus on characters and their feelings and thoughts. Instead of giving details
about the setting, the narrator directly deals with what happens within the setting. Towards the end of the
story the Irish rebels take the English prisoners to a place near a fog to shoot them. House (and in the case of
the story, cottage) is generally associated with protection and civilization. Accordingly, while they stay in the
cottage, the Irish and the English can communicate and argue some matters in a civilized manner and the
English prisoners are safe in the cottage. When they leave the cottage and go into the woods, namely the
nature, which represents wilderness and savagery; shooting, killing, death and blood take place, which is in
accordance with the wild aspect of nature. Hence, the setting of the story is in a parallel with the plot and
the action of the characters.
• The story, Old man at the Bridge is set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, as indicated by the
references to Ebro (a river in Spain), to fascists, and to Barcelona.The events take place over a couple of hours,
during Easter Sunday, which is ironical, because instead of celebrating the resurrection of Christ, the people are
preparing for war. The physical setting is the bridge over the river and its surroundings. The narrator conveys a
gloomy atmosphere by constant references to dust and to colors like grey and black: “very dusty clothes”, “ankle
deep dust”, “black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face”, “a gray overcast day”.
 CHARECTERS
The characters in the story,”Guests of the Nation are:-
• Bonaparte:Bonaparte is the narrator of the story, a soldier in the Irish Republican Army, assigned to guard two
British captives. He describes events and his reactions as he participates in the soldiers' execution.
• Awkins:Awkins is the younger and smaller of the two British soldiers. He is argumentative, an atheist, and a
self-proclaimed communist who cannot believe that he is to be executed by men he considers his friends.
• Noble:Noble is Bonaparte's main companion in watching over the British captives. A religious man, he argues
with 'Awkins constantly about God and politics. He does not wish to deceive the soldiers about their execution.
• Belcher:Belcher is the older and taller of the two British soldiers. He assists the old woman with chores around
the house and greets his death with equanimity and poise.
• Jeremeiah Donovan:Jeremiah Donovan is the senior member of the three Irishmen watching the captives. He is
motivated by a sense of duty and believes in the cause for which he is fighting.
• Feeney:Feeney is the local intelligence officer of the Irish Republicans. He does not speak, but it is implied that he
informed Jeremiah Donovan of the execution of the Irish prisoners.
• Old women:The old woman owns the cottage the soldiers are being held in. She is mortified to learn that the soldiers have
been killed and drops to her knees to pray for them at the end of the story.
Charecters in the “Old man at the bridge”:
• Old man:The story's protagonist is an elderly man sitting by the side of the road. He is not given a name, only
that he is old and tired to protect himself from becoming a victim of the war. The old man is a loving human
being who is attached not only to his native town but also to his animals) The only thing that concerns him is
the safety of his animals, his only family, whom he must leave behind due to the threat of an attack by the
enemy. Because the old man is lonely, he is overjoyed when he meets a soldier by chance. He expresses
gratitude to the soldier who speaks to him, saying, "but thank you very much.“
• The Narrator:The unnamed narrator is an army scout, who narrates the story in first person. He encounters
an old man at a pontoon bridge near the Ebro river which people are crossing to escape from the war zone
Like the old man, he too has a strong sense of duty) When the old man worries about his animals, the scout
is concerned about the safety of the old man and tries to convince him to cross the bridge and escape free.
The soldier is a kind man, who pities for the old man's condition Slowly he becomes interested in the old
man's story and enquires if he had left the dove cag unlocked. The narrator realises the old man's deplorable
condition and thus gives him hope reassuring him that the animals would be fine. As a soldier and as a
human being, he wishes for the old man's safety, and at regular intervals reminds him to cross the bridge.
But by the end, the narrator foresees the old man's impending death, with the thought that all the luck that
he fold man would have is that cats could protect themselves and the day was overcast, so Fascists would not
launch their planes to attack the local people.