War – How British Literature Helped To Shape War Essay, Research Paper
War has taken lives, broken homes and broken hearts. Since we did not live during the days of war, we use literature to explain to us what it was like. That s exactly what these next six authors did. Now we ll take a look at how these authors helped us to understand war. First there was Rupert Brooke. Brooke died at a young age but left a very memorable poem behind called The Soldier behind. This poem described the romantic outlook on war. Brooke never had a chance to fight in the war since he died on the way but he was in the Antwerp Expedition and by being in this he gained experience in direct action. But Rupert Brooke s poem has it s place in our history and will remain so. Next was George Orwell, the writer of Shooting the Elephant and Animal Farm. All of his works were the unpleasant truths and showed his lifelong hatred of totalitarianism. Orwell gave us a behind the scene look at the powers behind the war and it s impact. This also made Orwell one of the most known authors of his time. Another author of war was Frank O Connor. O Connor was not part of the war but seemed to know a lot about it. In his story My Oedipus Complex, he talks about a boy who s father has been away at war and then returns home. This gave us an idea of what life would be like at home while a war occurred. O Connor definitely gave a different look at war. Continuing with the authors of war, here s one with a powerful message. His name was T.S. Eliot, and perhaps his most emotional poem was The Hollow Men. I don t believe this poem had much to do with the war but it could have more to do with the effects on people after the war. But with Eliot s words he opened up new doors for other poets to come. Then there was D.H. Laurence who’s works were diverse. His poems and stories touched the side of society most people had forgotten. The part called love. With Laurence s fictional characters he gave people a different outlook on things. Thanks to Laurence the people of war could be happy by just reading. Last author is Siegfried Sassoon who’s brutal honesty and look into the reality of war stunned critics. But with that came a great deal of respect. His poetry let the readers know what was happening out at war. His work was the most dramatic and breathtaking. So that concludes our look at the authors of war. Their words and experiences helped to shape the time of war.