Grenade

This is a shape poem that I drew by hand, and I would first off like to apologize for the messy writing. It contains no rhyme scheme. I used personification by saying the grenade has been waiting to put on a show. There is also contrast between the horror caused by the grenade and the entertaining, almost glamorous sounding "show" that it wants to put on. I wrote it this way because one wouldn't normally think of an explosion as being a show, especially not an explosion that is killing people. I think it is an interesting alternative point of view. The poem doesn't contain any kind of punctuation or grammar and words are cut off and continue on the next line, so I hope you are able to understand it.

Stanzas by Lord George Gordon Byron

When a man hath no freedom to fight for a home,

Let him combat for that of his neighbours;

Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,

And get knocked on the head for his labours.

To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan,

And is always as nobly requited;

Then battle for freedom wherever you can,

And, if not shot or hanged, you'll get knighted.

This poem ties in with my theme because it refers to battles fought and won in Greece and Rome, and says that if you fight for your country you will be rewarded. This style of warfare (of being chivalrous and getting knighted) is very different from most of the wars we hear about today and has much more to do with honour and glory than just killing, as it is today. Structurally there are two stanzas of four lines each, with the first and third, and second and fourth lines rhyming. The poem has historical allusions, in talking about the glories of Greece and Rome; this could refer to any number of battles that took place there, as there had been many previous to Lord Byron's lifetime. However, since there had been so many the cities were claimed repeatedly by different people, which would explain why he would "get knocked on the head for his labours" (he wouldn't enjoy its glories for long). In addition, the last two lines sound slightly satirical, as though you don't have much of a chance of being rewarded. This gives the poem a joking tone and makes the reader question the sincerity of the first two lines of the second stanza.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

"In Flanders Fields" is perhaps the most famous war poem ever written. It was written during World War 1, in 1915, the day after McCrae witnessed the death of his close friend. It is often recited during Rememberance Day ceremonies because it refers to the poppies that grew in abundance in the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried. There is repetition in the poem in the first and last lines, in the second line with "row on row", and in the third line of the 2nd stanza with "loved, and were loved". A lark singing, in line 4, is an example of personification. There is alliteration in the 3rd line of the 3rd stanza, with "hold it high". Structurally, the poem is a French rondeau, which has 15 lines and 3 stanzas, with rhyme scheme AABBA, AABC, AABBAC.

Haiku

Ceaseless bombardment

Incessant deafening noise

This cratered wasteland

This poem was purposely left title-less, as is intended with haikus. The poem has a very strict structure, as the number of syllables per line is 5, 7, 5. One thing I tried to portray here is how frustrating and even maddening it was for the soldiers on the front lines during World War 1 - they despaired because it seemed as though the assaults and explosions would never end. Also, many soldiers went deaf or lost part of their hearing from the noise of explosions. I didn't use any poetic devices, as they are kind of difficult to implement into such a short poem.