mametz wood Flashcards
who was it written by and some brief life info?
Oliver Sheers (2005) born in Fiji in 1974 but grew up in South Wales
what is the form and structure like?
has regular stanzas which mimic soldiers controlled advancement
poem includes free verse which captivates the immensity of the battle
first stanza is rooted in the past but the final stanza pays tribute to fallen men
an elegiac lament for the dead - pays tribute to them
what are the key themes?
Mametz wood = scene of fierce fighting during battle of the Somme = 1 of the bloodiest battles of WW1
The soldiers of the Welsh division were told to take the woods but instead of taking hours it took five days
four thousand casualties and 600 died bur welsh succeeded
Sheers is concerned with the impact of place on identity and spirit.
The poem deals with the theme of the connections made between the living and the dead and how they relate to their setting and to each other.
what is the historical and literary context?
Historical Context: Sheers, a Welsh poet, wrote the poem after visiting a battlefield. This was the scene of fierce fighting during the Battle of the Somme. Soldiers of the Welsh division were ordered to take Mametz Wood. Although generals thought the battle would take a few hours, it ended up lasting five days - 4,000 casualties and 600 dead. The Welsh were never recognised for their sacrifice.
Literary Context: Sheers said he wanted “to give voice to those silent unknown skeletons’. His deliberately prosaic language could be said to give voice to voiceless.
A writer in The Guardian observed how Sheers’ use of rhyme creates an “easy lyricism”. In this poem, the aural appeal and effect is deliberately reminiscent of a Welsh male choir, and thus poignantly patriotic.
quote 1: ‘Mametz Wood’ what could you say about this?
the title is direct and uncompromising which could evoke how the men were never recognised for their sacrifice
quote 2:‘For years afterwards the farmers found them/ the wasted young, turning up under their plough blades’ what could you say about this?
the opening line is ambiguous but ‘them’ suggests multiple soldiers were found. The adjective ‘wasted’ implies that these lives were pointlessly lost.
quote 3: ‘broken bird’s egg of a skull’ what could you say about this?
the metaphoric phrase of the birds egg suggests fragility and also emphasises how new/young life has been destroyed
quote 4: ‘nesting machine guns’ what could you say about this?
Recurring bird imagery but the nest is not stereotypically homely and comforting; it is filled with guns that will injure and kill.
quote 5: ‘Their skeletons paused mid dance-macabre’ what could you say about this?
This is a reference to medieval poetry and the dance of the dead. Also implies that the soldiers, in their youth, were full of life when war killed them.
quote 6: ‘absent tongues’ what could you say about this?
The metaphor ‘absent tongues’ implies that they were unable to speak out even in life. Cathartic. Their lives may have been wasted but in death they have become significant.
