Siegfried Sassoon's poetry brings modern art to the heighten awareness of reality. In the modern time period, World War I, brought about new advancements in technology and art. The world no longer was revolving around the romantic or Victorian principles which took trivial matters seriously. The impending War became an outlet or catalyst for social change and thinking. In Sassoon's poem, Glory of Women, the reader is taken from the past ideas to the realities of the modern world and war. He uses the ideas of women, presumably who still posses the Victorian ideologies of aristocracy of men being gentlemen and women being ladies with redeeming qualities and socially unblemished. "You love us when we're heroes, home on leave/Or wounded in a mentionable place./You worship decorations; you believe/That chivalry redeems the wars disgrace." (Lines 1-4) In these line, Sassoon is indicating that these women are shallow. The women love the idea of heroes and the picture of war being an event. He indicates their lack of knowledge and understanding of what is really happening to the man. "You make us shells/You listen with delight" (Line 5). The women see the war and the soldiers as not men, but "shells". Their outer appearance supersedes the main inside the uniform. "You can't believe that British troops "retire"/When hell last horrors breaks them, and they run/Trampling the terrible corpses-blind with blood" (Lines 9-11). Sassoon is indicating the naive and unsympathetic nature of the women. He also gives insight on the emotional turmoil of soldiers who live through war.
There is no glory in war. Sassoon makes this mood point in the last line of the poem; "While you are knitting socks to send your son/His face trodden deeper in the mud." (Line 14). In the defense of women, I believe that their Victorian ideologies that they held onto where bestowed upon them. They knew no better. The womans' world did not involve knowing the horrors of society and tragedies of war. They were treated like second class citizens. They had little or any rights at all. Women did what they were taught to do and did what society allowed them to do. Sassoon may be showing the character flaws of these Victorian women, but the real issue is war and the ideas presented about war. War is death and the glory lays within the images that are presented to society.
There is no glory in war. Sassoon makes this mood point in the last line of the poem; "While you are knitting socks to send your son/His face trodden deeper in the mud." (Line 14). In the defense of women, I believe that their Victorian ideologies that they held onto where bestowed upon them. They knew no better. The womans' world did not involve knowing the horrors of society and tragedies of war. They were treated like second class citizens. They had little or any rights at all. Women did what they were taught to do and did what society allowed them to do. Sassoon may be showing the character flaws of these Victorian women, but the real issue is war and the ideas presented about war. War is death and the glory lays within the images that are presented to society.
Denise,
ReplyDeleteVery good insights and observations on Sassoon's poem! Your first paragraph sets up and demonstrates your careful and accurate reading of the poem, but I also like the way you go on in the second paragraph to read against the grain and to see why the women are the way they are. Nice work!
Most men, if not all, go into war and return from it scarred for life. Some will dwell on it, and may lose their mind. Some will never talk about the horrors, but only the glories of it. Others will never speak of it at all. Siegfried vented his experiences in poetry and a letter,(per the text, page 1099.) It would seem that time may have softened some of Siegfried's emotional wounds as the text states that he rarely used "shock value" in his later poetry and memoirs. Writing is therapeutic.
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