Jessie Popes Attitude toward War in the Poem Whos For the Game Essay

Jessie Pope was a journalist who wrote recruitment poems for the Daily Mail during the First World War. The poems she did write were positive propaganda poems for the war; her objective was to stimulate patriotism in the readers so that the men would join the forces. Pope wrote a persuasive poem where she compared war to a game. This is illustrated in the title 'Who's for the game?' It shows that her attitude toward war was that it was a great big event that everyone should take part in one way or another. The title is a short and punchy question inviting anyone to answer. This gives the wrong impression of the war, it is misleading. Pope was ridiculed for doing this, but if she did write the actual reality of war, no one would really want to join, therefore the aim of the poem would not be fulfilled and the British army would have no chance of wining in the war. Stanza one begins again by referring to the war as a 'game' for the above reason and also emphasises that it is the 'biggest' game ever known, war is not a game where you may loose points but where it is likely to loose a limb or loose your life. By her saying war it the game, 'the biggest that's played,' Jessie Pope gives a false notion in the first line and makes war sound remarkable when clearly it is not. The 'game' is then repeated to enforce excitement even more. Pope goes on to imply it could be a violent game, appealing to the masculine instinct whilst there is a comparison between 'the red crashing game' and the red blood shed in war, she makes it seem like a boxing match. Jessie Pope continues to base the poem on a game by stating: 'Who'll grip and tackle t... ...nza because she personalises it in other ways by commanding them to join to rescue their country, respond to its call for help and using 'you'. In conclusion it is a very simple and assertive poem that was popular with the general public as Jessie Pope's writing contained the normal indifferent public's view that supported the war from the safety of their home. The poem, 'Who's for the game?' were disliked by some for the misleading remarks but also admired by others for the basic language which was easy for all to comprehend. The attitudes expressed in the poem were that war should not be treated as a serious and avoided subject but something that should be enjoyed by courageous men willing to fight for their country without hesitation and men who were not eager to join were considered cowards and should be ashamed.