Mary Gilmore - WarOut in the dust he lies; Flies in his mouth, Ants in his eyes ... I stood at the door Where he went out; Full-grown man, Ruddy and stout; I heard the march Of the trampling feet, Slow and steady Come down the street; The beat of the drum Was clods on the heart, For all that the regiment Looked so smart! I heard the crackle Of hasty cheers Run like the breaking Of unshed tears, And just for a moment, As he went by, I had sight of his face, And the flash of his eye. He died a hero's death, They said, When they came to tell me My boy was dead; But out in the street A dead dog lies; Flies in his mouth, Ants in his eyes. |
Analyse of PoemMary Gilmore’s poem “War” is written in the perspective of a mother, fare-welling her son goodbye while he’s sent to war. Gilmore’s poem initially starts off with “Out in the dust he lies; Flies in his mouth, Ants in his eyes ...”, during this first verse a sorrowful tone is evoked in the reader’s mind, it then continues to stimulate a type of ‘proud’ feeling that any mother would feel when it says, “Full-grown man, Ruddy and stout;”. It continues to evoke euphoric sensations in the reader till it gets to the ending of the poem, bringing a sombre outlook; “He died a hero's death, They said, When they came to tell me My boy was dead;”. During Mary Gilmore’s poem there is a continuos repetitive rhyming scheme, persisting with the rhythm of “A, b, a, c”. In line 20 - 23 the use of rhyme is obvious, for example: “And just for a moment, As he went by, I had sight of his face, And the flash of his eye.” There is also one brief use of onomatopoeia with the use of the word “Crackle”, (Line sixteen). Gilmore then continues to use the poetic device of repetition, from her first line: “Out in the dust he lies; Flies in his mouth, Ants in his eyes ...” to the very last lines: “out in the street, A dead dog lies; Flies in his mouth, Ants in his eyes.” This use of repetition drowns the reader in relisation that the mother’s boy is dead. |