Does it Matter?
Does it matter?-losing your legs?... For people will always be kind, And you need not show that you mind When the others come in after hunting To gobble their muffins and eggs. Does it matter ?-losing your sight?... There's such splendid work for the blind; And people will always be kind, As you sit on the terrace remembering And turning your face to the light. Do they matter?-those dreams from the pit?... You can drink and forget and be glad, And people won't say that you're mad; For they'll know you've fought for your country And no one will worry a bit. Siegfried Sassoon |
Analysis
Siegfried Sassoon’s poem ‘Does It Matter?’ is a sensitive poem of which questions society of issues from war. The poem is brief, consisting of 3 stanzas with 4 lines each, there is a rhyming pattern throughout, and most lines even have an equal number of syllables. The poem shows a negative way of war, describing feelings and thoughts soldiers go through once they finish their service. ‘ The poem emphasises ‘Superficial kindness’ is emphasised throughout the poem, expressing that society feels towards the soldiers who’s suffered from war. Potential injuries and wounds such as; ‘losing your legs, sight and reoccurring memories of the war’ accentuates the fact no one really cares about one’s body and mind’s condition due to war, specifically showing the way they are treated by the public from the soldier’s perspective. The poem tells the story about how society expects the soldiers to resume to their previous life. This can be seen in the line, “There’s such splendid work for the blind...” indicating that they are suppose to continue with lives like it was before the war even if they become blind. The soldiers are expected to forget the gruesome, horrifying scenes and memories of war to move on with their previous lives. Once the war is over and the soldiers have returned. The people are able to forget and not worry about the war veterans. Because this poem is from such a new perspective, it makes such an impact on readers. Sassoon is a war veteran; he served numerous times during World War One and has cleverly written this poem expressing his thoughts in a subtle way making the reader think. Similar to the poem ‘A Working Party’, this poem contains a few themes, which can be acknowledged by the reader. This poem signifies the importance of soldiers hard work and dedication to their country, however, are not honoured properly. The soldiers are expected to go on with their daily lives after their war service. Which is where is we should show our appreciation and most importantly be thankful for the challenges and hardships that are continually faced by soldiers for our freedom and current lifestyle. The poet has used literary techniques such as sarcasm through the entire poem, and it’s very effective because he asks the question “Does it Matter?” throughout the poem, trying to point out how society treats a soldier who has lost so much during the war. The rhyming of ‘ind’ in the first and second stanza ‘kind, mind, blind’, are used to represent how society will accept the soldiers after the war no matter the state they are in. Juxtaposition also adds to this effect using ‘blind and light’. |