My dreams are of a field afar
And blood and smoke and shot.
There in their graves my comrades are,
In my grave I am not.
I too was taught the trade of man
And spelt the lesson plain;
But they, when I forgot and ran,
Remembered and remain.
what does it mean to be spelled plain?
what is the authors view on the war effects?
based on this war poem
trade of man¡¯ — metaphor for the role of soldiers and war, tone seems sarcastic perhaps the narrator was trained to be a soldier but was not committed and hence shows the underlying guilt in the poem. Also shows the expectations of ¡®man¡¯ in society — to fight and defend his country. that's what i think but i still don't get the exact meaning of spelt the lesson plain?
You are way off overall. Overally, it is not sarcastic, but more ironic in the "trade of man" which means standing an killing others, or to die trying, and if you run, you might "die" anyway in your memories.
Now, the "spelt the lesson plain" means the lesson was given to us very plain, and understandable: Stand and fight.
I really don't think "defending" his country has anything to do with it.
A first draft of Housman's poem included this:
There nine shrewd fellows stand their ground,
the only fool was I
to keep my carcass safe and sound
And leave my name to die.
thnx a lot
To understand what it means to be "spelt plain," we need to look at the context of the phrase within the poem. In this particular stanza, the speaker mentions being taught the "lesson" of man; this suggests that they were instructed or educated about something. When the speaker says they "spelt the lesson plain," it means that they understood or grasped the lesson clearly. In other words, they were able to comprehend and express the lesson in a straightforward manner.
The author's view on the war effects can be inferred from the poem, though it's important to note that interpreting poetry is subjective and can differ among readers. Based on the provided stanzas, the author seems to convey a somber and poignant perspective on the effects of war. The imagery of "blood and smoke and shot" and the reference to fallen comrades in graves suggest the physical and emotional toll that war takes on individuals involved. The final lines, "In my grave I am not," juxtapose the speaker's survival with the memory of those who didn't make it, emphasizing a sense of survivor's guilt or a haunting remembrance of the fallen.