Analysis Of And The War Was In Its Infancy Then By Maurice...

Poets frequently utilize vivid images to further depict the overall meaning of their works. The imagery in â€Å" the War Was in Its Infancy Then,† by Maurice Emerson Decaul, conveys mental images in the reader’s mind that shows the physical damage of war with the addition of the emotional effect it has on a person. The reader can conclude the speaker is a soldier because the poem is written from a soldier’s point of view, someone who had to have been a first hand witness. The poem is about a man who is emotionally damaged due to war and has had to learn to cope with his surroundings. By use of imagery the reader gets a deeper sense of how the man felt during the war. Through the use of imagery, tone, and deeper meaning, Decaul shows us the†¦show more content†¦Near the end of the poem, Decaul makes a dejected image as he speaks of â€Å"life† being similar to â€Å"dew† and the â€Å"disappearing dew† (26,27,28). By saying this, Dec aul shows us how fast a life comes and ends. The many different unfortunate and unhappy images the soldier witnesses, help the reader to connect and understand the overall meaning of what life is like during the war. It displays how the soldier would describe his life. By relating life to dew, the reader sees how melancholic a person can potentially become due to war. These images guide the reader to connect with the author and detect the unhappy emotions specified in the poem. By analyzing the deeper level meaning in the images presented, the reader’s sympathy increases. Primarily, Decaul uses the beginning of his poem to grasp the reader’s attention by explaining the tragic activity occurring on his birthday. In doing this he uses traumatic imagery, such as â€Å"black smoke rising† and â€Å"artillery strikes† to further describe the scenery upon his â€Å"birthday.† These meaningful descriptive images bring the reader in creating a connection b etween us and the inner feelings of the soldier. The idea of providing mental images, supports the distressing activities encountered on the soldier’s birthday. Even though the poem does not bluntly tell us Decaul is frightened at the setting, words, such as â€Å"tapping† and â€Å"reminds†, inform us of how he has taught himself to stay â€Å"safe.† Decaul has to