Compare how poets present ideas about death in ‘Mametz Wood’ and ‘Futility’. ‘Mametz Wood’ and ‘Futility’ both present different ideas about death. Sheers shows ideas about the deaths of many soldiers, whereas Owen presents ideas about the death of only one soldier. ‘Mametz Wood’ suggests the fragility of life when Sheers writes ‘broken bird’s egg of a skull’.
The metaphor gives the image of a young and vulnerable hatchling that could be easily broken at any point, just as the soldiers were who fought in the First World War.Like an egg hitting the ground and smashing after falling out of its nest; a soldier’s skull smashes when it hits the floor after being shot. This image further suggests a violent death occurred as it gives the image of skulls that are shattered and spread out similarly to the cracked bird’s egg. ‘jaws, those that have them’ also shows the men died a violent death just as ‘broken bird’s egg of skull’ does.Sheers gives the image of men’s body parts having been detached as a result of conflict.
This gives further gruesome ideas in the reader’s imagination as to how the conflict occurred. ‘Twenty men buried’ shows that there was mass death within the First World War and all the men who suffered were buried together. ‘A broken mosaic’ links to this idea in the sense that it suggests a camaraderie between the men as it gives the image of the men fitting perfectly together in their mass grave.Although this can bring a positive image to the reader, it gives a very negative idea about the death in World War One as it creates the image of masses of soldiers dying on the battlefield and being thrown in a grave carelessly by their enemies. ‘Mametz Wood’ shows the unity of men in the First World War and although they may have died violently, they died in companionship.
This is shown when Sheers writes ‘linked arm in arm’ and ‘they had had sung’. ‘Futility’ goes through two different stages of death; it focuses on one victim and the realisation of losing someone.It also focuses on the universal questions about the meaning of life. Unlike ‘Mametz Wood’ this poem is an elegy about one Unknown Soldier from the First World War. It shows the feelings that come with death and not the images. ‘At home, whispering of fields half-sown’ shows an element of hopeless nostalgia, of the author remembering where the soldier should have been instead of being killed in battle.
This sets a gentle tone to the poem with an underlying tenderness.‘At home… half sown’ is an example of half rhyme which suggests incompletion; further suggesting the soldier is at peace but only in death. ‘If anything might rouse him now’ suggests the desperation to wake a dead soldier. The word ‘now’ shows this desperation as it suggests that there is a need for this soldier to be alive; further suggesting that the soldier shouldn’t have died.
‘anything’ also suggests desperation as it shows that there could be anything done too bring this soldier back, as long as he is brought back.‘Are limbs, so dear achieved’ suggests the idea that life was not created to be ruined this way. It shows that the human body is a ‘dear’ thing to have and that suggests it should never be stolen away but treasured. Similarly to ‘If anything might rouse him now’, ‘Are limbs, so dear achieved’ suggests that the soldier shouldn’t have died. In conclusion, ‘Mametz Wood’ and ‘Futility’ both present very different but clear ideas about death.
‘Mametz Wood’ presents ideas though imagery whereas ‘Futility’ presents ideas through feelings.
