Pope uses pleasant, and even enticing, descriptions of war to encourage young men to join it. By frequently using imagery of a “game”, she insinuates male soldiers should feel as though not fighting in the war would be shameful.
Who knows it won’t be a picnic – not much-
Yet eagerly shoulders a gun?
Who would much rather come back with a crutch
Than lie low and be out of the fun? (Pope, Who's for the Game?)
Pope’s idealistic representation of war is used to persuade men to join the war, while leaving out potential risks involved. She briefly suggests that returning home severely injured would be better than “missing out”. She deliberately uses the word “fun” to refer to war, to mislead the reader into viewing joining the war as an enjoyable experience. Later in the poem, she writes:
Your country is up to her neck in a fight,
And she’s looking and calling for you. (Pope, Who's for the Game?)
The use of personification here relies on the “damsel in distress” stereotype, which was extremely popular at the time. Using this method, Pope paints a picture for the reader of a woman in need of rescuing. This allows the men reading the poem to believe that they are heroes, responsible for saving a frail, desperate woman in need. During World War One, views about young women in Europe were often negative: they were believed to be weak, fragile, and in need of protection by men at all times. This makes the implication of a damsel in distress resonate more with Pope’s audience; they likely already believed these things to be true. This poem uses an ABAB rhyme scheme, which is reminiscent of the motion of marching. The footstep-like rhythm adds to the atmosphere the writer is trying to create. This relates to the purpose of the poem, which is a call to action. Pope is trying to convince her audience of male soldiers that joining the war is a brave thing to do.
Work Cited
Pope, Jessie. “Who's for the Game?” All Poetry, https://allpoetry.com/Who%27s-for-the-Game-. Accessed 13 February 2024.
Comments