Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)

“A Working Party”

“Trench Duty”

“Repression of War Experience”

Background– Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) – Biography


• born to a well-to-do family (Jewish)


• born to a well-to-do family (Jewish)– lived pastoral life of a young squire



RECALL:



RECALL:– pastoral = of/relating to the countryside



RECALL:– pastoral = of/relating to the countryside– squire = a country gentleman, esp. chief

landowner



• fox hunt, play cricket, play golf, write poetry




– rode bicycle to recruiting office to join army





• 28 years old at start of war –





• 28 years old at start of war – Sassoon was especially unprepared for its horrors





• 28 years old at start of war – Sassoon was especially unprepared for its horrors– was a naïve squire eager to enlist


• was a fearless, courageous soldier


• was a fearless, courageous soldier– often volunteered to lead dangerous raids and

missions



missions– awarded Military Cross for assisting a wounded

man back to British lines while under heavy fire (1916)



missions– awarded Military Cross for assisting a wounded

man back to British lines while under heavy fire (1916)

• was severely wounded 1917; sent to Craiglockhart (England) to convalesce


• his reaction to the war’s realities was bitter, violent, ironic, satiric, contumely


• his reaction to the war’s realities was bitter, violent, ironic, satiric, contumely– contumely = rudeness or contempt arising from

arrogance; insolence

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) – Biography• wrote a letter to the editor of The Times

(London) declaring that the war was being deliberately and unnecessarily prolonged by insensitive political leadership (the king, Parliament), which he called a “greater enemy than the Germans”


(London) declaring that the war was being deliberately and unnecessarily prolonged by insensitive political leadership, which he called a “greater enemy than the Germans”– narrowly avoided court martial because a friend

convinced the review board that he suffered from shell shock


(London) declaring that the war was being deliberately and unnecessarily prolonged by insensitive political leadership, which he called a “greater enemy than the Germans”– narrowly avoided court martial because a friend

convinced the review board that he suffered from shell shock• shell shock = PTSD which includes loss of sight,

memory, muscle control; insanity; persistent nightmares; etc.


• began writing similar themes as Brooke (that is, pro-war themes)



• met other war poets in hospital whose styles influenced him, especially as his feelings about the war changed



• met other war poets in hospital whose styles influenced him, especially as his feelings about the war changed– became a public detractor of war, especially the

“little men with too much power” running it



• met other war poets in hospital whose styles influenced him, especially as his feelings about the war changed– became a public detractor of war, especially the

“little men with too much power” running it– became a mentor to Wilfred Owen (next poet)

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) – Poetic Terms

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)• poetic terms (for discussion):


– sonnet (Italian, Shakespearean)



-- poet -- speaker -- stanza




• new terms:




• new terms:– narrative poem (“A Working Party”)





• includes all basic elements of a narrative (plot)





• includes all basic elements of a narrative (plot)• note setting, tone, mood, characterization, imagery,

sensory language, foreshadowing, etc.







– dramatic monologue (“Repression…”)







– dramatic monologue (“Repression…”)– stream-of-consciousness (“Repression…”)

Sassoon – “A Working Party”


• a narrative poem (tells a story):


• a narrative poem (tells a story):Three hours ago he blundered up the trench…


• a narrative poem (tells a story):Three hours ago he blundered up the trench…

• introduction (begins narrative)

Sassoon – “A Working Party”• stanzas 1-2 establish setting, mood


– setting = obviously WWI in a trench… what else can we figure out?



– “Three hours ago…” (ln. 1, ln. 26) – three hours ago… from what time?




– “…puffing a point of red” (ln. 11), “A flare went up…” (ln. 16) lights at night





– “He thought of getting back by half-past twelve” (ln. 42)





– “He thought of getting back by half-past twelve” (ln. 42)

– “The wind came posting by with chilly gusts” (ln. 20) and other context clues (lns. 40-41, 43) indicate a cold night at that


– setting = obviously WWI in a trench… what else?


– setting = obviously WWI in a trench… what else? contributes to mood



– mood = atmosphere = feeling




– note physical cues for sensory impression:




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…tripped…




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…tripped…lurched…




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…tripped…lurched… splashing wretchedly…




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…tripped…lurched… splashing wretchedly…sludge




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…tripped…lurched… splashing wretchedly…sludge (stanza 1)




– note physical cues for sensory impression: blundered…sliding…groping…tripped…lurched… splashing wretchedly…sludge (stanza 1) creates impression of numbness from being tired/cold, slippery footing, etc.




– note sensory impression of black/white imagery




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness… flickered…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness… flickered…glimmering…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness… flickered…glimmering…bleached…





slow silver moment…





slow silver moment…died in dark…





slow silver moment…died in dark… dreary…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness… flickered…glimmering…bleached…slow silver moment…died in dark… dreary…drizzling…




– note sensory impression of black/white imagerywhite faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness… flickered…glimmering…bleached…slow silver moment…died in dark… dreary…drizzling…(stanza 2)



– mood = atmosphere = feelingnote sensory impression of black/white imagery

white faces…candles glinted…gloom swallowed sight…shining whiteness… flickered…glimmering…bleached…slow silver moment…died in dark… dreary…drizzling…(stanza 2) creates strobe-like effect: darkness broken by intense flashes of light

Sassoon – “A Working Party”• stanza 3 resumes narrative:


Three hours ago he stumbled up the trench…(26)



• 3rd stanza ends by foreshadowing the narrative’s outcome:



• 3rd stanza ends by foreshadowing the narrative’s outcome:Now he will never walk…



• 3rd stanza ends by foreshadowing the narrative’s outcome:Now he will never walk… / He must be

carried…..



• 3rd stanza ends by foreshadowing the narrative’s outcome:Now he will never walk… / He must be carried…

a jolting lump




a jolting lump / Beyond all need of tenderness and care;




a jolting lump / Beyond all need of tenderness and care; / A nine-stone corpse…(27-30)

Sassoon – “A Working Party”• stanzas 4-5 offer characterization of the

man in the poem:


man in the poem:young man…meagre wife…two pale children …

Midland town



Midland town

…a decent chap…did his work…laughed at jokes…



Midland town


• stanza 5 shows thoughts, reaction to cold



Midland town


• stanza 5 shows thoughts, reaction to coldHe thought how slow time went…



Midland town



He thought of getting back…warm to sleep



Midland town




…stamping feet… blowing fingers…draughty



Midland town




…stamping feet… blowing fingers…draughty

• he is just an average ‘Tommy’


• note sensory cues in stanza 5:


• note sensory cues in stanza 5:…how slow time went…



…stamping his feet



…stamping his feet / And blowing on his fingers, pinched with cold.




…tot of rum to send him warm to sleep…





…in draughty dug-out…






…frowsty with the fumes / Of coke…







…and full of snoring, weary men.







…and full of snoring, weary men.

• clear impression of cold, dark, lonely night

Sassoon – “A Working Party”• stanza 6 gives the resolution (conclusion) of

the narrative:


the narrative:…a flare / Gave one white glimpse of No Man’s

Land and wire;



Land and wire;

And as he dropped his head



Land and wire;

And as he dropped his head the instant split

His startled life with lead



Land and wire;


His startled life with lead, and all went out.



Land and wire;



• snipers would use the light of “star shells” (flares) to spot targets



Land and wire;




• end is foreshadowed in 3rd stanza



Land and wire;




• end is foreshadowed in 3rd stanzaA nine-stone corpse with nothing more to do.

Sassoon – “Trench Duty”


a sonnet – what kind?


a sonnet – what kind?• English (Shakespearean) –



• narrative sonnet – tells a story




– three quatrains:




– three quatrains:

– rhyming couplet:




– three quatrains: establish what “trench duty” is:





– three quatrains: establish what “trench duty” is: routine, dull, chaotic, frenetic, tense…






– rhyming couplet: comments on the random senselessness of it all…






Why did he do it?






Why did he do it?…I’m wide-awake, and some chap’s dead.






Over us, Chance hovers….

(AQW, 101)

Sassoon – “Trench Duty”a sonnet – what kind?• English (Shakespearean) –




Over us, Chance hovers.

It is this Chance that makes us indifferent.(AQW, 101)

A note on the senseless randomness of it all…

Sassoon – “Trench Duty” “A Working Party”

A note on the senseless randomness of it all…

Sassoon – “Trench Duty” “A Working Party”A note on the senseless randomness of it all…



It is this Chance that makes us indifferent.

(AQW, 101)




(AQW, 101) And as he dropped his head the instant split

His startled life with lead, and all went out. (“Working Party,” 49-

50)






50) Why did he do it…? Starlight overhead –

Blank stars. I’m wide awake; and some chap’s dead. (“Trench Duty,” 13-

14)


Over us, Chance hovers.It is this Chance that makes us indifferent.



50) Why did he do it…? Starlight overhead –

Blank stars. I’m wide awake; and some chap’s dead. (“Trench Duty,” 13-

14) Both poems // AQW: at any time, in any place, death

can take you; it is only a matter of Chance.

Documents

Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)