War written by James Shappcott, as the title suggests is a poem about the First

World War written around 1965. James Shappcotts father went to war and this
poem especially focusses on the emotions of his father after he came back from
the war. Initially this poem talks about the proudness that is initially associated
with the images of fighting in the trenches and wearing the army uniform.
However goes on to show the not so glorious side of war, through the personal
perspective of his father. The poet reflects about his fathers emotions and
actions following the war. By examining his selective use of subject matter, his
language choices and judicious use of poetic devices, and carefully considering
his point of view, attitudes and beliefs his understanding, perspective and
representation of war can be understood. It has been deduced that Shappcott
introduces post-traumatic stress, the fight for no cause and the other side of war
to portray an anti-war perspective. This is shown through his language choices
and particular phrases which put a different spin on the perspective being
portrayed in the text.
The first and most obvious reason that this poem takes on an anti-war
perspective is because of the focus on the post-traumatic stress of the poets
father. Shappcott explicitly talks of this by saying, My father woke struggling,
one night. This is commonly known as sleepless nights which occur after a
particularly stressing event. The poet continues on to talk of how his father still
demanded atonement after all these years. The poet seems to imply that the
war changes ones life forever and one may never find peace, even if the
physical scars heal.
Another subject matter which the poet discusses that reveals his anti-war
perspective is about the pointless loss of men. He talks of how Gallipoli was a
selfish blunder and that it was a battle fought for nothing. It can be deduced
how he sees the battle at Gallipoli as a fight for no cause. Men lost their lives
fighting for nothing. This seems to perpetuate into a larger image of how in
general, war isnt really fought for any cause in the perspective of the individual
man.
One of the last ways that this poem is written with an anti-war perspective can
be seen in the first stanza. He talks of how at first just wearing the army uniform
and thought of going to fight for ones country is grand and noble. However his
use of the words glib slogan on his army uniform put a different spin on the
meaning of this poem. Shappcott says that the value of the uniform is almost
meaningless, it maybe something to be proud of when one is about to leave for
war, but once in the war-zone, it becomes haunting. He also talks about the
other side of war and how that reshaped the soldier. This means the side that is
not imagined by young teens enlisting for war.
To conclude, James Shappcotts poem, War, was written with an anti-war
perspective which can be deduced from his themes that perpetuate the post
traumatic stress of war, the fight for no cause and lastly the other side of war
that no-one really sees.