Mametz Wood Flashcards
Who wrote the poem?
Owen Sheers
What is the poem’s context?
-battle of the Somme, WW1
-between Welsh and German forces, the Welsh had to reclaim Mametz Wood
-set in Northern France, Mametz Wood
-4000 men dead to machine gun fire as the German were hiding in the trees
What is the poem about and its meaning
Poem is about gametes finding the remains of the Welsh in the woods years after the war passed. The remains were comparable to fragments showing how violent their deaths were. 20 men buried in one long grave were found who were frozen in a scene of death
How does Sheer set the one?
Poem has a sad, reflective tone as shown by ‘even the earth stands sentinel’ however at times there is a slightly critical tone being used such as wasted young’ and ‘told to walk, not run’ suggesting that the soliders’ deaths were unnecessary
Why might have Sheers written this poem?
-Sheers is a Welsh poet and may have written this poem to acknowledge the soldiers that history forgot.
-To honour heirsacrifices by the many references to their deaths such as ‘paused mid dance-macabre’
-Shows their deaths as unnecessary seen in ‘wasted young’ suggesting he is criticising those responsible for their deaths
What is the main theme of Mametz Wood
War
