Mametz Wood - Owen Shears

Question 1

Poet context

Answer 1

Grew up in Wales - has a deeper emotional connection with the fallen soldiers of Mametz Wood (many from Welsh Division)
Sheers was at the battlefield when farmers uncovered a mass grave of men with their arms interlinked

Question 2

Historical context

Answer 2

Northern France 1916 a gruesome battle occured here - around 4000 welshmen died

Question 3

Form

Answer 3

Tercets and 3rd person, creates a feeling of disentachment -maybe a warning from Sheers not to go back to that life

Question 4

Structure

Answer 4

Chronological until stanza 5 when they find the bodies
Thoughtful tone and methodical pace continuous throughout - maybe draws parallels to the long-lasting detrimental effect of war and a warning to not repeat

Question 5

‘For years after the Farmers Found them’

Answer 5

‘F’ - almost sounds like a discovery, war has a permanent impact, creates more damage than it solves

Question 6

‘the wasted young’

Answer 6

Over half WW1 soldiers were between ages 18-23
Due to harmful propaganda and societal pressure
‘young’ - may provide as a warning to the young reading it - vague

Question 7

‘turning up under their plough blades’

Answer 7

graphic imagery ‘plough blades’ -juxtaposing motif of how a simple tool can quickly become a mechanically dangerous weapon - harsh reality

Question 8

‘china plate of a shoulder blade’

Answer 8

Comapres the soldier to something renowned for its fragility - reference to being too young and innocent?

Question 9

‘broken birds egg of a skull’,

Answer 9

‘b’ - reflects bombs? contrasted starkly with imagery of youth and something that should be protected
cesura - continuous injuries not belonging to anyone, took away soldier’s identity

Question 10

‘this morning, twenty men buried in one long grave’

Answer 10

Volta - going back in time displays how Sheers may believe that society is not learning from its mistakes
earth –> human lives affected

Question 11

‘broken mosaic of bone’

Answer 11

‘broken’ repetition - war affected many, broke many parts of life
contrasting image of something beautiful and intricate with something that purely makes up the body- soldiers also had lives and loves

Question 12

‘As if the notes they had sung’

Answer 12

Bird imagery continued from stanza 2 - song contrasts with violent imagery

Question 13

‘slipped from their absent tongues’

Answer 13

poem ends on a gentle not - Sheers wwants to give the soldiers a sense of peace and rest