Online lesson Home Learning.

ANNEX A

1. Whose Point of View

Statement: It comes from a war veteran point of view, as he probably had suffered such war like experiences, and now conflicting the lives of war-children, and normal children.

Evidence: "Could we just give them a candle? Could we teach them how to read?"

Elaboration: This sentence evokes sympathy, that he is sympathetic with the children, and feels for them. As such, he tries his means to help them. The sympathy he feels might be rooted to the fact that he was one war-child as well. Having a more experiential feel of the lives of the children suffering in war, it supposes that Henry might have been a war-child as well, and now feels the need to shift them back to a normal lifestyle - in this case, literacy and light.

2. Situation and Setting

Statement: It seems to be just before a war is about to begin, maybe a after a declaration of war.   The setting is difficult to tell, but I will go with America. 

Evidence: "Or will a war consume them?"

Elaboration: Notice the term " will " here? It definitely suggests, either that a war is imminent, but cannot be in the midst of a war, nor after the war. Therefore a declaration of war is very likely to be the timing and situation of the poem. I think it is in Vietnam, as Henry was a war veteran in the Vietnam war, and talks from an American's point of view, to try to encourage world-peace and kindness, instead of war. He knows exactly how it feels, and tries to discourage war, by writing this poem. America is rather dominant in war-times, and have superiority, so it means they do not need children in the war. 

3. Language/Diction

Statement:Writer has a persuasive tone, trying to use the extremes of a situation to convince the masses on a particular topic.

Evidence: "Down some endless dirty hole"

Elaboration: Definitely, there will not be any dirty hole whatsoever, it is rather used to exaggerate the extremes of what war can bring about, and trying, on the other hand, to stop war. This is the use of extreme situations to convince the masses to your liking.

4. Personal Response

Statement: I think the writer has done a great job in this poem, it has the feel and sympathy in it.

Evidence:"Back into the darkness, from which has no flight"

Elaboration: This is part of the conclusion, which shows how much the war-children cannot revert back to the lives of normal children, as such, it may indicate about himself, and a personal experience of his. It may be trying to assume that he was one of those.