During this term, we focused a lot on World War 1 and the lives of soldiers who had to fight in terrible conditions. We watched a film about the war, took notes, and read different WWI poems that showed us what soldiers really went through. The poem that made the biggest impression on me is “Pluck” by Eva Dobell. This poem really caught my attention because the soldier in the poem is only seventeen, and he already lost his hand and his future. The line where it says he is
“crippled for life at seventeen”
made me stop and think. It was shocking to imagine someone so young already living with so much trauma and pain. I also felt sad when the poem says he tries to hide his fear from the nurse, even though he is shaking. It showed me that soldiers were scared too, but they didn’t want to look weak.
What made me think the most is that he actually lied about his age just to go to the war. Many boys wanted to be seen as brave, but they didn’t really understand what the war was like. This poem helped me see the truth behind war not just fighting, but real people suffering. It made me feel grateful that I don’t have to go through something like that.
Also this poem helped me understand that war wasn’t only about bravery like movies sometimes show. The poem also connects to other things we learned this term, like how many soldiers were traumatized and society didn’t really see the real cost of war. Overall, the WWI readings and film changed how I see war, making me think more about the fear, pain, and lost lives of young soldiers.