are there any famous poems about how soldiers at war deal with death. I'm reading "the things they carried" and the book talks a lot about how the soldiers would shake hands with dead people, (as a sort of dark humor I guess to desensitize them in a way) or how when curt lemon dies, jensen sings "lemon tree" to death with the death in a form of dark humor. Are there any poems that have similar ideas such as these about war and death?

Question

are there any famous poems about how soldiers at war deal with death. I'm reading "the things they carried" and the book talks a lot about how the soldiers would shake hands with dead people, (as a sort of dark humor I guess to desensitize them in a way) or how when curt lemon dies, jensen sings "lemon tree" to death with the death in a form of dark humor. Are there any poems that have similar ideas such as these about war and death?

Answer 1

Here are webpages/websites about two famous British poets who lived during WWI.

Wilfred Owen
http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/owen

Siegfred Sassoon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Sassoon
As with all Wikipedia search results, be sure to check out all the external links and further references at the bottom of each Wikipedia page.

Answer 2

Yes, there are several famous poems that touch upon the themes of war, death, and soldiers' coping mechanisms in times of conflict. These poems often explore the psychological and emotional impact of war, including the ways in which soldiers grapple with death. One such poem is "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen, a renowned World War I poet.

To find such poems, you can follow these steps:

1. Start by searching for well-known war poets. Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Rupert Brooke are just a few notable examples.

2. Look for collections or anthologies of war poetry. Many books have been published that specifically focus on war poetry from different eras, such as World War I, World War II, or the Vietnam War. These collections often feature a range of poems that address themes of war, combat, and death.

3. Utilize online resources. Various websites, like poetryfoundation.org or poets.org, have extensive archives of poems and can be searched using keywords related to war and death. You can also search for specific poets and their works online.

4. Pay attention to specific themes in the poems you come across. Look for works that explore soldiers' experiences with death, coping mechanisms, or dark humor. Some specific poems you may find relevant include "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" by W.B. Yeats, "The Soldier" by Rupert Brooke, or "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" by Randall Jarrell.

Remember, poetry, like any form of art, can be subjective. So, while these poems touch upon themes similar to what you've mentioned, different readers may interpret them differently.