Readings for 3/18

p.100
I think it is true that culture has a great deal to do with fully understanding many texts. What I occurring in the world or where the author is in the world or where he/she is writing about can give the piece of text a whole new perspective. I have read passages before where we were not told the race of the author or the gender and I had a whole different view of the meaning of the piece then when I reread it knowing those pieces of information. Where and when something is happening can completely change the message behind the writing.

p.327
The poem, The Soldier, was written in 1915. This tiny piece of information allows the reader to realize that the soldier of this poem was most likely fighting in the Great War. Just knowing which particular war this soldier is referring to as he writes so passionately is an important detail because it allows the reader to picture this young man. We can research that war and actually get a feel for what this soldier was heading into. Knowing who he was fighting with and against as well as the reason for the particular war being written about can provide a much clearer image of this man and the reason behind his emotions.

p. 429
Again, this poem takes place during World War I as well, at least that is if 1917 is the correct year it was written. The fact that there is a question mark following the date makes me wonder if someone interpreted this poem's descriptions and words and assumed it was about the Great War. This interests me because that is showing how knowing just a simple cultural fact like when the piece was written can give someone a new perspective. Perhaps this poem was written about a different war. Maybe that would change whoever came up with this date's mind about the whole poem.

p.430
I looked up "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" and found the translation "It is a sweet and glorious thing to die for one's country." This poem was very sad and really made me visualize a war with poison gas and people dying. I liked how preceding the last line are the words "To children ardent for some desperate glory, the old lie." It shows how all the old people know it is not a sweet or glorious thing to die the sort of way people do in wars, yet they continue to tell the young kids that it is because that is what they need to hear. These kids are still naive and innocent and dream to be war heroes, without really knowing what it is like and how traumatic the experience actually is. I think the fact that we don't know who the men are fighting for in this poem makes the effect even better. All wars are brutal, no matter what side one is fighting for. They all experience this kind of violence and emotional torture.

p.445
Again, this poem was written about World War I and mentions both British troops as well as a German mother whose son's face "is trodden [deep] in the mud." This provides us with some cultural background again. It gives us some historical information so that in order to get the full effect of this poem, one is able to research the different sides of the war taking place in 1918 and can get different perspectives. I thought the image of the mother knitting socks for her son who will no longer need them was a sad one and was a strong line to end the poem on to illustrate the death and sadness of war despite all the glory and attention people give to their war heroes.