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
3 answers
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.
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