Soldiers

-By Rosie Taylor

This is the simple inspiration we all need to feel sometimes when we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders; these are the men, who put that metaphor to the test.

The short sentences allow the reader to think for him self and receive a simple yet definite image in their minds. Also, the irregular rhyming creates emphasis and stresses the end of each phrase, allowing for a reflection on the topic. Allusion (indirect reference to a person, event…Etc.) is used until the final sentence, because the persona of a soldier is familiar and the title is our character, only a brief description is needed. Anaphora (successive clauses or sentences starting with the same word) is also employed to draw emphasis to the message of the sentence. Taking on the role of the subject depicted creates a personal feeling of communication between the reader and the topic. Paradox (a statement that seems to be self-contradictory, but further speculation reveals some truth) is demonstrated to emphasize the dissimilarities between we and the person, and the isolation experienced by soldiers. The rhythm of lines 7-8 allows for a musical flow and the Alliteration allows lines 7-8 a parallel structure, both lines are trimeter and the first two feet are Iambic followed by an Anapaestic foot. The atmosphere throughout the poem is thoughtful, but gathered at the beginning is confidence and strength and nearing the end it is more sullen, broken, unmerciful and unorthodox. 

We are the calm, A
the breathless, B
and the young. C
We are the brave, D
the fearless B
and the strong. C
We want to cry but we can’t, A
we want to die but we won’t. A
We are the sound, B
of the deaf. C
The pleas, D
of the dead. C
We are soldiers. A