Who’s For The Game?

Question 1

Who’s For The Game — Context:

Answer 1

• Jessie Pope was a writer for newspapers, magazines and was a patriotic and motivated propaganda war poet.
• She is best known for her poems during WWI that were written to encourage young men into enlisting for the war.
• Pope and others believed that it was honourable to fight for your country.
• Her poem is jingoistic and downplays the brutality of war, attempting to present it as fun and exciting.
• This view and representation was criticised by Wilfred Owen, who wrote poems such as ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ to contradict Pope.
• Pope did not experience WWI first-hand, no real concept of it.

Question 2

Who’s For The Game? — Structure:

Answer 2

Every other line is indented, which reinforces the distinction between the two types of men. (Those who will fight and those who won’t.)

The last line of each stanza bar the last is delegated to the cowards.

Question 3

Who’s For The Game? — Rhyme:

Answer 3

Alternating ABAB pattern

Reinforces the distinction between the brave individuals willing to join and those who pope views as cowardly.