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Ex-Basketball Player Poem Analysis

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The poems “Ex-Basketball Player” and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” are two very different poems; in setting, the way they are written, and how they portray heroism. The poem “Ex-Basketball Player” is written third person and focuses on a man who was once great at basketball, but is stuck in his fame of high school. “Anthem for Doomed Youth” is written in third person talking about WWI, how gruesome the war was and how the soldiers do not receive the honourable death they deserve. “Ex-Basketball Player” is written into five stanzas from third person, with the first giving us an image of where the character “Flick Webb” now resigns. This stanza gives us an idea of exactly where Flick is in his life and it is crucial to the rest of the poem. “Pearl …show more content…
“Slow dusk” is referring to the end of another day. Each day goes by slowly because of the war. “Drawing down of blinds” is soldier’s eyes closing as they die. It is an extremely powerful line to wrap up the poem. The poem “Anthem for Doomed Youth” shows a lot of heroism. The men were so brave to go into battle and risking their lives. Many of them knew that they would not likely live once seeing and hearing the horrific acts of war. Soldiers were not receiving the deaths they deserved the poem talks about and it shows the unselfish act taken by the men to fight for their country. The “Ex-Basketball Player” and “Anthem for Doomed Youth” show being a hero can happen in two ways, but also the praise you get to be very different. Flick was a hero for his high school being the star, he is applauded for doing great things. The soldiers are heroes for their country and are brave unlike Flick but they receive no type of applause. Flick is a hero for a short time but is forgotten about in the end though. All that stands is his record, he never went anywhere in basketball and only he recalls back to the days of his greatness. The soldiers will be always remembered, they are the flowers of minds that

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