It's difficult at first glance to determine how the epigraph by W.B yeates relates to Owen's poem "The show". It could be that "Breath on the tarnished world" is trying to present the realities of the world and how it's not what it seems through the perfection of the mirror, as Owen describes in "The show" where it seems a dead soldier is viewing the battle from a height. He refers to the men as caterpillars, dihumanising them as they "writhed and shrivelled", presenting the horrors of battlefield and the extent of agony the soldiers went through. The epigraph could also be a reference to the soldier's fight and how they aimed to repair this "tarnished world" where they smooth it out with ivory hands (Ivory could represent the purity of these men who have only one objective, to help the world) so with their hands they try so hard as to smooth out the cracks in the "tarnished mirror" and when their work is accomplished they sigh, maybe a sigh of relief and reassurance. It may be there death confirms their work is accomplished.
Both the epigraph and the poem may aim to honour the men, with Owen describing their horrific mission to repair the tarnished world and how their deaths may be a reassurance to the soldiers, as they sigh because it's over.
Soma
(I DONE ANOTHER ONE OF THIS WHICH WAS BETTER BUT IT GOT DELETED SO I HAD TO DO ANOTHER ONE)
The epigraph by W.B Yeats at the beginning of the poem 'The Show' sums up the poem overall. Before reading the poem the audience are made to read the short epigraph and it says we have "fallen in the dreams the ever-living breathe on the tarnished mirror of the world". In my opinion I think this is saying that instead of seeing the world through a clear perspective like you would in a mirror, we are seeing it as if someone has breathed on it and made the image less vivid, for example many people's opinion on the war were patriotic because they didn't see the full image of what war was really like. Also the word "tarnished" means ruined, and this relates to the poem because not only does it link back to how the poem describes how horrific the war is, it is also shows that all the soldiers are hoping to do is to fix the tarnished world and as the epigraph says "smooth out with ivory hands".
The Epigraph in 'The Show' the show meaning the battle and the show, something that he felts shouldn't be known as a show as a show is for entertainment purposes and was Is divinity not for entertainment as its a tragic event something that he likes to stress. 'Tarnished breathing' suggests death as well does 'Mirror world' he is no longer in this world but in a parallel world observing the 'show' 'Fallen dreams' his dreams have ended and he now in a permanent dream.
Carolina. (I done a better one but it got deleted)
in my opinion after reading the epigraph, its relevance to the poem, "the show" is of great significance. "we have fallen in the dreams of the ever-living" this relates to the poem as it is about a soldier telling of his death after being brought back for a short amount of time, therefore indictating a vague image of a dreamworld and a man within it dying. "breathe on the tarnished mirror of the world", to me shows how the people at home dont realise just whats going on; and this is one of Owen's more graphic poems, so its almost as if it represents the imperfections and reality rather then the 'perfect world' people percieve it to be on the seaside nearby. that last line of the epigraph really sums up the poem, and how we choose to ignore whats going on so cover it up, when the reality is people are dying, in quick succession, every day. In conclusion, the epigraph by W.B Yeats to me therefore sums up the whole poem of "the show" as he is implying the irony of the poem being called a show. To those at home it is, but the harsh reality is its far from a show and people lose lives. We choose to ignore the reality, so "smooth it out with ivory hands", this is what i believe the epigraph shows.
4 comments:
It's difficult at first glance to determine how the epigraph by W.B yeates relates to Owen's poem "The show". It could be that "Breath on the tarnished world" is trying to present the realities of the world and how it's not what it seems through the perfection of the mirror, as Owen describes in "The show" where it seems a dead soldier is viewing the battle from a height. He refers to the men as caterpillars, dihumanising them as they "writhed and shrivelled", presenting the horrors of battlefield and the extent of agony the soldiers went through. The epigraph could also be a reference to the soldier's fight and how they aimed to repair this "tarnished world" where they smooth it out with ivory hands (Ivory could represent the purity of these men who have only one objective, to help the world) so with their hands they try so hard as to smooth out the cracks in the "tarnished mirror" and when their work is accomplished they sigh, maybe a sigh of relief and reassurance. It may be there death confirms their work is accomplished.
Both the epigraph and the poem may aim to honour the men, with Owen describing their horrific mission to repair the tarnished world and how their deaths may be a reassurance to the soldiers, as they sigh because it's over.
Soma
(I DONE ANOTHER ONE OF THIS WHICH WAS BETTER BUT IT GOT DELETED SO I HAD TO DO ANOTHER ONE)
The epigraph by W.B Yeats at the beginning of the poem 'The Show' sums up the poem overall. Before reading the poem the audience are made to read the short epigraph and it says we have "fallen in the dreams the ever-living breathe on the tarnished mirror of the world". In my opinion I think this is saying that instead of seeing the world through a clear perspective like you would in a mirror, we are seeing it as if someone has breathed on it and made the image less vivid, for example many people's opinion on the war were patriotic because they didn't see the full image of what war was really like. Also the word "tarnished" means ruined, and this relates to the poem because not only does it link back to how the poem describes how horrific the war is, it is also shows that all the soldiers are hoping to do is to fix the tarnished world and as the epigraph says "smooth out with ivory hands".
Devon :)
The Epigraph in 'The Show' the show meaning the battle and the show, something that he felts shouldn't be known as a show as a show is for entertainment purposes and was Is divinity not for entertainment as its a tragic event something that he likes to stress.
'Tarnished breathing' suggests death as well does 'Mirror world' he is no longer in this world but in a parallel world observing the 'show'
'Fallen dreams' his dreams have ended and he now in a permanent dream.
Carolina.
(I done a better one but it got deleted)
in my opinion after reading the epigraph, its relevance to the poem, "the show" is of great significance. "we have fallen in the dreams of the ever-living" this relates to the poem as it is about a soldier telling of his death after being brought back for a short amount of time, therefore indictating a vague image of a dreamworld and a man within it dying. "breathe on the tarnished mirror of the world", to me shows how the people at home dont realise just whats going on; and this is one of Owen's more graphic poems, so its almost as if it represents the imperfections and reality rather then the 'perfect world' people percieve it to be on the seaside nearby. that last line of the epigraph really sums up the poem, and how we choose to ignore whats going on so cover it up, when the reality is people are dying, in quick succession, every day. In conclusion, the epigraph by W.B Yeats to me therefore sums up the whole poem of "the show" as he is implying the irony of the poem being called a show. To those at home it is, but the harsh reality is its far from a show and people lose lives. We choose to ignore the reality, so "smooth it out with ivory hands", this is what i believe the epigraph shows.
Luke :)
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