Step 1

Step 2Where? March to war.Who’s involved? Soldiers – more specifically, infantry who were the cannon fodder of WWI.What will happen? Going to war, will die.Literary features? Diction, irony, structure, imagery, allusion, metaphors and metonymy

Step 3Who? Narrator.To whom? Soldiers/infantry.What? Going to war.

Chaos is not yet surrounding the narrator and soldiers still have a modicum of control over their actions

Anticipation affects morale and thoughtsWhere? Road to war.How?

Dictiono Oxymoronic imagery, switching from one presentation to a disillusion of the

same thing Song, joy, etc grimness of a march towards death

o Metaphors/metonymies: sleep as death, ringing in valleys as bells tolling for death and shots fired in war

o Allusion Jesus Christ and Barabbas – Barabbas was a thief crucified with Jesus Socrates was executed with poison

o Irony – use of the imagery to make a statement about sacrifice/patriotism in war and the value of life

Toneo Uplifting through diction and imagery talking about going to waro Grim idea of death

Patterns? Form

o Poetry AABB rhyme scheme Regular verse structure (with a few exceptions)

o Gives the poem a certain lilt, akin to a song – irony Structure

o Stanzas begin with a happy image before brusquely disillusioning the audience

Tensions? Ironies throughout…

o Song/rejoicing + deatho Spring/hope + decayo Sacrifice/patriotism + worth of life

OutlineI. Introduction to context

a. “Route March” by Charles Hamilton Sorley (British author)b. Written while serving in the army during WWI

i. WWI was the first war during which technology was used to such an extent

1. Tanks, bombs, gas, planes, etc.2. Armies not used to this warfare – maintained trench warfare

strategies – infantry (foot soldiers) were cannon fodder during surges between the two trenches

ii. Would be aware of the horrors of war – enough time to disillusion him from ideas of patriotism and sacrifice

1. Contrary to many poems which made these actions appear noble rather than useless

II. Theme: Throughout the poem, Sorley uses structure, diction and tone to ironize about patriotism expressed during WWI.a. Structure

i. 4 stanzas, each of which have an indented part1. The indented section is repetitious, akin to a refrain

ii. Regular verse structure (syllable count) apart from a few exceptions1. Gives unity to the poem2. Related to soldiers marching

iii. AABB rhyme scheme1. Sole exception: lines 40-41 “Earth will eco still, when foot /

Lies numb and voice mute.”a. Signifies the end of the poem, end of life

i. Stutter in the normality2. Gives unity to the poem

iv. As a whole, gives the poem a lilt that is very similar to that of a song1. Irony – much of the criticism derives from the singing of joyful

and patriotic songs when marching to deathb. Diction

i. Soothing repetition that unifiesii. Subject

1. Infantry: a. “singers are the chaps” – familiarity and humanityb. Transitions into “marching men” automatons

without control over their actionsiii. Oxymoronic imagery, switching from one presentation to a disillusion

of the same thing1. “Earth is bursting into song” (2) “The singers are the

chaps / Who are going to die” (3-4)a. Initial is an overjoyed image which is positive

i. “bursting” – ironic; relation to bombs

b. Transfers to the harsher reality and irony2. “[Earth} shall rejoice and blossom too / When the bullet

reaches you”a. The world isn’t stopped or dramatically altered by the

sacrifice of war and a single deathb. The death of the soldier is one of many – no one cares

iv. Metaphors/metonymies: sleep as death, ringing in valleys as bells tolling for death and shots fired in war

1. “When you are sleeping” (11) as a primary introduction to death transfers into a blunt “be dead” at the end of the poem

2. “Oh sing, marching men, / Till the valleys ring again” (5-6) ringing can refer to the bells rung for deaths and funerals; can also refer to gunfire shots during the war

v. Allusion1. Jesus Christ and Barabbas – Barabbas was a thief crucified with

Jesusa. “Jesus Christ and Barabbas / Were found on the same

day.” – comes right after two lines concerning the ‘greatness of sacrifice and patriotism: “Cast away regret and rue, / Think what you are marching to”

b. Irony all men are equal in death, sacrifice is useless, not noble or great or joyful

2. Socrates was executed with poisona. “Earth that bore with joyful ease” what’s another

death? What is the value of a sacrifice?3.

III. Tone – relate it back to the dictiona. Uplifting when talking about going to war; disillusion is much colder and

mockingb. Sarcasticc. Overall, the use of diction and structure allow the tone in “Route March” to

critique patriotism and the idea of sacrifice through sarcasm. In the end, singing songs in support of the morale of troops and the goal of your country does not change the fact that you are marching “to the gates of death.”

IV. Conclusiona. The last line of “Route March,” “So be merry, so be dead” portrays Sorley’s

apathetic view of the ultimate meaning of death, which he allows the reader to understand is useless and of no more worth if it is sacrificed in war rather than lived to the fullest in a peaceful life.