Fall in and Who’s for the game? Essay

These two examples of poems are typical of the war propaganda of the period, they are propaganda posters to make normal people get up, tell their friends and to join the army, navy or RAF. They try to embarrass people who like to be masculine and question their masculinity; this makes them prove to people that they are a man so they go to fight in the war. The poem teases unmasculine men and tries to make them feel bad for not going to fight. Harold Begbie exclaims that all the MEN who fight in the war will be praised in the street, women will love them (which is not true if they are severely handicapped), everyone will ignore you if you don’t go and everyone who does will be heroes. Men hate getting ignored by women therefore they will want to join up Jessie Pope’s idea of a game makes the reader feel as if war is a football ball match or a great sporting event. Going with the LADS makes it feel like there is comradery and a good time to be had with cool people, there’s no mention of any death, killing people, blood or any other gruesome details, it only says you may get a broken leg which will appeal to men who want to look macho and as if they’ve been fighting, it will make them look tough and brave. SONNY is used to patronise the reader, to make him feel unworthy of being a big strong man but more like a little boy who’s just a bit of a joke. SONNY is used to make a man try to prove himself and go join up. The author creates a feeling of everyone else will be talking of the war and become popular but you will be ashamed because you did not go and you will try and avoid everyone so they wont know. Normal people rushed out to beat the foe which means they left with no hesitation or worries and knew they’d be back anyway really quickly. The author says when you are old you will tell your children and grandchildren of exiting war stories and adventures. But if you’re too much of coward not to join even your children and grandchildren will be ashamed and embarrassed. The painting on the front shows a woman guiding a young man to where he should be going, the old lady wants the young man to fight as she’s to old but its his duty, it feels like the lady is pressuring the man to join up, he doesn’t want to see the look of disappointment on her face if he says no. The effects of these poems is that people get mislead into believing the war will be over really quickly, you’ll get good pay, really nice uniforms, travel all over the world, meet nice people. If you don’t go then your great country will be taken over by horrible people and everything will be ruined. Harold Begbie’s language is extremely persuasive in his poem called â€Å"Fall In†, in it keeps repeating direct and rhetorical question like Where?, What?, How? Why? When? and, Will you†¦? The author also uses religion to scare people into thinking that they will be upsetting God by not fighting in the war. He tries to make you seem uncaring when he writes â€Å"And right is smashed by wrong?† He imagines you only caring about football, cinema, the pub and the betting shop as if you only think about yourself. Jessie Pope’s language is also just as persuasive. The poem she writes is called â€Å"Who’s for the game?† in her poem she also repeats direct and rhetorical questions. She uses Who? as in who’ll do this? and who’ll do that? The who’s refer to you. The use of who in most of her poem is very repetitive and therefore the Who†¦? will stay in your mind. Also her slang phrasing appeals to ordinary people who feel as if she’s down to earth and makes the writing feel friendly, this encourages them to read on and not feel threatened with a formal very important looking poster.