World War One holds the title of “the Great War,” and, in this context, people are referring to its enormity of impact on population of every nation indirectly or directly affect. However, the aforementioned term is not using “great” in a sense of praise, as nothing that decimates an entire generation of young men is praiseworthy. This four year ordeal impacted people—not just soldiers—from all of the belligerent nations. With new technology introduced to the battlefield, such as the machine gun, entire nations became piles of rubble and bodies. Simply put, war was not a glorious pursuit but a harsh reality. Despite speaking about World War Two, Winston Churchill conveys two perfectly applicable ideas about war in his speech “Be Ye Men of Valor.”
…show more content…
The reason for this message is very clear, as only months after Churchill gave this speech, May 1940, the Battle of Britain would ensue. This consisted of a series of airstrikes by the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe, on the British mainland. Because of impending dangers like that, Prime Minister Churchill has to garner the support of the Britons, which he does quite effectively. Churchill states that the country is not solely fighting for itself but also for higher values. The war is a “struggle for life and honor, for right and freedom, to which we have vowed ourselves” (Churchill 1171). British involvement in the war is not a blind claim of nationalism. Instead, their fighting is for the virtues that Britain tries to cultivate in its citizens. These motives are the source of praise; whether they win or lose is insignificant. Nonetheless, Churchill seeks to eke out a victory. However, “if we fight to the end, [the war] can only be glorious” (Churchill 1171). In sum, glory comes from the intent of their fighting not the outcome. This same glorification of fighting for one’s country is at the heart of Rupert Brooke’s poem “The Soldier.” The persona begins by discussing that if he dies in battle, “there’s some corner of a foreign field / That is forever England” (Brooke 2-3). Literally, his death would mark that land with his blood and bones. Beneath the surface, this line …show more content…
In “Be Ye Men of Valor,” he describes the realities, not romantic ideals, of war. He notes that “it would be foolish… to disguise the gravity of the hour” (Churchill 1169). He is not withholding any information from the audience of the speech. Specifically, he discusses what atrocities the Nazis have done to France with their new war technology. “The Germans, by a remarkable combination of air bombing and heavily armored tanks, have broken through the French defenses… strong columns of their armored vehicles are ravaging the open country” (Churchill 1169). While not going into gruesome detail, Prime Minister Churchill explains the war exactly how it is. Again, the purpose of his speech was not to refute the necessity of war but to rally the British populations. However, he does this in a straightforward manner, avoiding the romantic portrayal of war and instead being very transparent. While not speaking on behalf of an entire country, Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” describes war in a similar manner. The bulk of the poem describes the horrors of a mustard gas attack, a primitive, brutal form of chemical warfare, in World War One. First, however, he sets up the dreary scene on the battlefield. The soldiers were “drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots / Of tired, outstriped Five-Nines that dropped behind” (Owen 7-8). Life as a soldier was far from enjoyable; it was tiring beyond imagination. The sounds of
The reason for this message is very clear, as only months after Churchill gave this speech, May 1940, the Battle of Britain would ensue. This consisted of a series of airstrikes by the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe, on the British mainland. Because of impending dangers like that, Prime Minister Churchill has to garner the support of the Britons, which he does quite effectively. Churchill states that the country is not solely fighting for itself but also for higher values. The war is a “struggle for life and honor, for right and freedom, to which we have vowed ourselves” (Churchill 1171). British involvement in the war is not a blind claim of nationalism. Instead, their fighting is for the virtues that Britain tries to cultivate in its citizens. These motives are the source of praise; whether they win or lose is insignificant. Nonetheless, Churchill seeks to eke out a victory. However, “if we fight to the end, [the war] can only be glorious” (Churchill 1171). In sum, glory comes from the intent of their fighting not the outcome. This same glorification of fighting for one’s country is at the heart of Rupert Brooke’s poem “The Soldier.” The persona begins by discussing that if he dies in battle, “there’s some corner of a foreign field / That is forever England” (Brooke 2-3). Literally, his death would mark that land with his blood and bones. Beneath the surface, this line …show more content…
In “Be Ye Men of Valor,” he describes the realities, not romantic ideals, of war. He notes that “it would be foolish… to disguise the gravity of the hour” (Churchill 1169). He is not withholding any information from the audience of the speech. Specifically, he discusses what atrocities the Nazis have done to France with their new war technology. “The Germans, by a remarkable combination of air bombing and heavily armored tanks, have broken through the French defenses… strong columns of their armored vehicles are ravaging the open country” (Churchill 1169). While not going into gruesome detail, Prime Minister Churchill explains the war exactly how it is. Again, the purpose of his speech was not to refute the necessity of war but to rally the British populations. However, he does this in a straightforward manner, avoiding the romantic portrayal of war and instead being very transparent. While not speaking on behalf of an entire country, Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” describes war in a similar manner. The bulk of the poem describes the horrors of a mustard gas attack, a primitive, brutal form of chemical warfare, in World War One. First, however, he sets up the dreary scene on the battlefield. The soldiers were “drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots / Of tired, outstriped Five-Nines that dropped behind” (Owen 7-8). Life as a soldier was far from enjoyable; it was tiring beyond imagination. The sounds of