VCCS Litonline Introduction to Literature English 112 (English Composition II)

Student sample for task on page 13.

NANCY LANG
 
                                            “Break of Day in the Trenches”
                                                    Hypermedia Edition
 

     We are introduced to this web site by a poem written by a front-line soldier from World War I, Isaac Rosenberg.
     My first impression comes from the poem itself.  The first time I read the poem, I could sense the poet's bitterness about the war and his participation.  Yet, he also has a strong sense of irony.  From the perspective of a rat, he pauses to consider a reversal of the situation.  The rat can easily pass between the English and German lines unscathed.  It has a better chance of survival than these strong “athletes.”  This first impression is purely a “gut” level reaction to the writer’s situation.  It is easy to feel his pain and sympathize with his situation.
     My second impression comes from reading about Isaac Rosenberg’s life.  I read about his education and his health.  What interested me most was how irony played a big part in his life.  Perhaps that enabled him to write about it.  It seems his entire life was plagued with ill health.  He even left England to live in South Africa for health reasons.  Though ill health was his enemy his whole life,  what killed him was a bullet from another enemy, a German.  Another ironic situation in his life revolved around his education.  He studied and apprenticed in the arts of engraving and lithography.  He was able to have work exhibited, but did not experience much success.  It took the war to bring out his true talents as a poet.  This is what he will be remembered for.
    A third impression comes from the information about the war itself.  Only through this background information can we get a true idea of how horrific this war must have been. Physical conditions were appalling.  They had to contend with diseases, flies, lice, mud, freezing winters, mud-drenched springs, etc.  What is truly amazing is the lack of tactical progress this trench warfare allowed.  It is interesting to note that, even under attack and threat of death, human nature is such that one’s own physical pains still seem to be the overriding issues.  Rosenberg discussed this while bemoaning the agony of his “bad” heels.
     The fourth impression comes from the other poems included in this website.  They further define the agony of the war.  Some describe the horror of a soldier’s death (“Dead Man’s Dump”); others the pain of surviving (“Inspection and Exposure”); yet others are able to bring out some humor (“Louse Hunting” and “The Immortals”).  They also are included to help in understanding Rosenberg’s poem.  The article states that many of these World War I poets were heavily influenced by metaphysical poets.  An example is a poem by John Donne, “The Flea.” The topic is different, though, Donne's idea of courtship varies from the idea of a creature that can easily cross boundaries a human cannot.  Each poem uses a creature usually held in disdain, one that has extremely negative connotations: “worthless” as the article suggests.
    So my final impression comes from re-reading the poem, with a new insight from this newly acquired knowledge.  Still, the appreciation of the irony is there, along with the overall sense of pain and anger.  But I understand the symbolism better.  The main vehicles Rosenberg uses for symbolism are the rat, the poppy, and the white dust.  The article reminds us that a rat is a “demonic” creature.  This poem gives opposite qualities to the rat; here it seems almost intelligent.  It seems to understand the significance of the situation.  The men are in the trenches, huddled together in the muck and mire like rats.  Their lives (many short-lived) have little value.  The rat is the one viewing the situation in almost wonderment at their unnatural terror.  It is free to roam the green unscathed and is more likely to survive than many of the soldiers.  In this war, the rat surely is not the demon.  Perhaps war has turned the soldiers into demons.  Certainly the soldiers main function is to kill.
     A poppy is the next major symbol.  It is discussed how the poppy placed behind the poet’s ear reminds us where a bullet would enter “if he should stick his head above the parapet.”  The color of the poppy (red) is a chilling symbol of the blood that has been spilled.  The poppies have been nourished on the blood of the dead (this articles states that is a common fantasy about poppies).  The poppy behind the soldier’s ear has been picked, so it is dying.  It is dying just as the soldiers will die.  For the moment, though, it is in a safe place (as long as he keeps his head down.)
     Finally, the poet speaks of the dust.  It is the dust of a hot summer.  It is ashen.  It is the color one finds when all the life has been drained.  There is already a little on the poppy.  It reminds us that no matter how vibrant life is, it will eventually drain away.  This is the final impression of the poem.  I am left with a foreboding.  I feel that this poppy is safe for only a fleeting moment.  It makes me fear the poet is also safe for only a little while.  I am left with a sense of impending death.  Initially, I felt only the pain and bitterness of the author, now I feel deep sadness.

The URL for this page is: http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/birches/break.html