goliath__david.pages | |
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THE LITERATURE OF WAR
For decades, literary theorists have argued for different ways to read and interpret literature. Some believe that the author's life must be researched and studied in order to determine what a piece of literature means. Others think it is the experiences and response of the reader that shape the meaning. Another theory requires the reader to look at a piece from a historical point of view. The reader must ask themselves what was happening in history when the piece was written in order to get a full sense of the author's intention. Whichever theory you think is most important, there is no denying that politics and war have created emotional and moving short stories, letters, poems, and speeches. In this unit we will look at different wars in which America has participated and the literature that has been produced as a result of it.
THE WAR IN VIETNAM
The first war we are going to examine is the Vietnam War. Below are some statistics from the war: (taken from Holt: Elements of Literature)
1955- Year first U.S. military advisers were sent to Vietnam
1965- Year first U.S. combat troops were sent to Vietnam
2,000,000+ - Total number of US. soldiers who served in Vietnam during the war
10,000- Number of US. women who served in noncombat positions
20,000- Number of people who rallied for peace in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 1965
300,000- Number of people who rallied for peace in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 1969
1973- Cease-fire was declared
$150 billion- Money spent by the U.S. government for direct costs
2 million- Vietnamese deaths
58,000- U.S. deaths
300,000- U.S. wounded
2,300- U.S. soldiers missing and presumed dead
2.5 million- Number of people who visit Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. annually: 2.5 million
1955- Year first U.S. military advisers were sent to Vietnam
1965- Year first U.S. combat troops were sent to Vietnam
2,000,000+ - Total number of US. soldiers who served in Vietnam during the war
10,000- Number of US. women who served in noncombat positions
20,000- Number of people who rallied for peace in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 1965
300,000- Number of people who rallied for peace in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 1969
1973- Cease-fire was declared
$150 billion- Money spent by the U.S. government for direct costs
2 million- Vietnamese deaths
58,000- U.S. deaths
300,000- U.S. wounded
2,300- U.S. soldiers missing and presumed dead
2.5 million- Number of people who visit Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. annually: 2.5 million
Do some research over the following and record what you find:
1. Why was the United States involved in the Vietnam War?
2. Who were the president(s) in office during the war?
3. Who was in political power in Vietnam during the war?
4. What is communism?
5. What territories were practicing communism?
1. Why was the United States involved in the Vietnam War?
2. Who were the president(s) in office during the war?
3. Who was in political power in Vietnam during the war?
4. What is communism?
5. What territories were practicing communism?
ARE YOU A DOVE OR A HAWK?
During the Vietnam War, people gave names to both those who were opposed to the war and those people who supported the effort.
DOVE- People who opposed the war believing all war is wrong
HAWK- People who support the war's goals
BLOG- Answer the following blog question (available on SchoolFusion). Are you a dove or a hawk. Explain why. If you believe that you are neither, or if you think you fall somewhere in between, you can say that as long as you explain why and what you mean. Remember, you must respond to the forum question AND comment on a minimum to 2 of your classmates' responses.
DOVE- People who opposed the war believing all war is wrong
HAWK- People who support the war's goals
BLOG- Answer the following blog question (available on SchoolFusion). Are you a dove or a hawk. Explain why. If you believe that you are neither, or if you think you fall somewhere in between, you can say that as long as you explain why and what you mean. Remember, you must respond to the forum question AND comment on a minimum to 2 of your classmates' responses.
Tim O'Brien
You are about to read a short story titled Where have you gone, Charming Billy? Before you begin, read about the author of this story.
Tim O’Brien grew up in Worthington, Minnesota and now lives in Massachusetts. He graduated from McAlester College in St. Paul. In 1968 he was drafted into the Vietnam Conflict and served one tour of duty from 1969-1970. After returning home he enrolled in graduate school at Harvard University and studied government. After finishing his studies he worked as a national affairs correspondent for the Washington Post.
O’Brien has written several novels based on his experiences in Vietnam. The Things They Carried (published 1990) was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. O’Brien won the National Book Award in 1979 for his novel Going After Cacciato. Another novel, In the Lake of the Woods, won the James Fenimore Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was selected as the best book of 1994 by Time Magazine. His other novels include, If I Die In a Combat Zone, The Nuclear Age, Northern Lights, and Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. His latest novel, Tomcat in Love, was a New York Times bestseller following its publication in 1998.
Biography taken from www.thebestnotes.com
Tim O’Brien grew up in Worthington, Minnesota and now lives in Massachusetts. He graduated from McAlester College in St. Paul. In 1968 he was drafted into the Vietnam Conflict and served one tour of duty from 1969-1970. After returning home he enrolled in graduate school at Harvard University and studied government. After finishing his studies he worked as a national affairs correspondent for the Washington Post.
O’Brien has written several novels based on his experiences in Vietnam. The Things They Carried (published 1990) was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. O’Brien won the National Book Award in 1979 for his novel Going After Cacciato. Another novel, In the Lake of the Woods, won the James Fenimore Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was selected as the best book of 1994 by Time Magazine. His other novels include, If I Die In a Combat Zone, The Nuclear Age, Northern Lights, and Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. His latest novel, Tomcat in Love, was a New York Times bestseller following its publication in 1998.
Biography taken from www.thebestnotes.com
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, CHARMING BILLY?
Download the short story below. Read the story on your own. As you read, answer the following questions on a pages document:
1. What is Private First Class Paul Berlin mainly motivated by?
2. How does Billy Boy Watkins die?
3. What happens to Billy Boy Watkins after he is dead?
4. Why do you think the soldier tells Private First Class Paul Berlin "I'd shoot you if I thought you was sleepin"? Why would it be important to this soldier that Berlin stay awake?
5. Do you believe things will be better once they reach the sea, as Berlin believes?
1. What is Private First Class Paul Berlin mainly motivated by?
2. How does Billy Boy Watkins die?
3. What happens to Billy Boy Watkins after he is dead?
4. Why do you think the soldier tells Private First Class Paul Berlin "I'd shoot you if I thought you was sleepin"? Why would it be important to this soldier that Berlin stay awake?
5. Do you believe things will be better once they reach the sea, as Berlin believes?
where_have_you_gone_charming_billy.pages | |
File Size: | 221 kb |
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We will read the following poem and letter aloud in class. Record you thoughts over the following questions.
1. What are some ways in which Where have you gone, Charming Billy?, The Friendship Only Lasted a Few Seconds, and Dear Folks are similar (be specific)
2. What are some ways they are different.
3. Can you tell how the authors of these pieces feel about America's presence in the war? Give specific examples from the text.
The Friendship Only Lasted a Few Seconds
Lily Lee Adams
He said "Mom,"
And I responded
And became her.
I never lied
to him.
And I couldn't
Explain that to others.
I got all and more back.
But the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
And he called me Mary.
I wished she could
Be there for him.
I felt I was in
Second place,
But I did the
Best I could
And the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
And he told me,
"I don't believe this,
I'm dying for nothing."
Then he died.
Again, the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
How can the World
Understand any of this?
How can I keep the
World from forgetting?
After all the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
Lily Lee Adams
He said "Mom,"
And I responded
And became her.
I never lied
to him.
And I couldn't
Explain that to others.
I got all and more back.
But the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
And he called me Mary.
I wished she could
Be there for him.
I felt I was in
Second place,
But I did the
Best I could
And the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
And he told me,
"I don't believe this,
I'm dying for nothing."
Then he died.
Again, the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
How can the World
Understand any of this?
How can I keep the
World from forgetting?
After all the friendship
Only lasted a few seconds.
DEAR FOLKS
KENNETH W. BAGBY- The battle of the Ia Drang Valley, which took place in mid-November of 1965, was one of the hardest fought and most bloody of the entire war. The letter which follows is Sp4c Kenneth W. Bagby's personal account of the action during that fierce encounter, written soon afterward to his parents in Winchester, Virginia.
Plei-Ku, Vietnam
Nov. 17 1965
Dear Folks,
I met a boy on the ship coming over to Vietnam. He was a good guy from the State of Missouri. He was my friend. We lived in the same tent together, went into An Khe together, and spend most of our free time together. I got to know this boy well, and he was my best friend. His name was Dan Davis.
On Monday morning, the 15th of November, he died in my arms of two bullet wounds in the chest. He said, "Ken, I can't breathe." There was nothing I could do.
To the right of me another friend, whose last name was Blango, died of a wound in the throat. Up front Sergeant Brown, my squad leader, was hit in the chest and leg. To my left Sp4c A. Learn was hit in the ankle.
We were crossing a field and were pinned down by automatic weapons fire from the enemy. We were pinned down for about 45 minutes before the rest of the platoon could get to us, and save the rest of us.
So went the biggest and worst battle that any American force has had in Vietnam. We outdone the Marines and Airborne by a long shot. Estimated V.C. killed, 2000. Our casualties, I cannot give the information out. The battle took place on the Cambodian border....
Our battalion, the 1st Bn. 7th Cav., is completely inactive due to the killed and wounded of its men. My squad which consists of nine men, three came out, myself, Sergeant Scott, and a boy named Stidell.
Folks, by all rights I should be dead. The good Lord evidently saw fit to spare me, for some reason. I prayed, and prayed and prayed some more, the three days we were in battle.
The many men that died, I will never forget. The odor of blood and decayed bodies, I will never forget. I am all right. I will never be the same though, never, never, never. If I have to go into battle again, if I am not killed, I will come out insane. I cannot see and go through it again. I know I can't. The friends I lost and the many again. I know I can't. The friends I lost and the many bodies I carried back to the helicopters to be lifted out, I will never forget.
The pen that I am writing this letter with belongs to Stash Arrows, the boy that rode up to Winchester with me, on my emergency leave. Pop, remember him. He was hit three times in the back. I don't know if he is still alive or not. I hope and pray he is. God, I hope so.
Folks, don't let these men die in vain. Appreciate what they are doing over here in Vietnam. They died protecting you all, and all the people in the United States. We just cannot have the enemy get to the folks back home. We have got to stop them here, before that happens. If it is God's will, we will do it. Tell the people back home to pray for us, as we need their prayers.....
We raised the American flag on the grounds. We were fighting on Tuesday, the 16th of November. It waved proudly for the Armed Forces and the people of America, as it did in so many battles won in World War II and Korea. I sat beside a tree and looked at it, and hoped I would never see the day it would be town down and destroyed.
Folks, I am glad Eddy is not here and my son Kenny is not here. I hope they never have to see or experience the horrors of war. I will give my life to see that they don't...
As always,
Your son,
Kenneth
Plei-Ku, Vietnam
Nov. 17 1965
Dear Folks,
I met a boy on the ship coming over to Vietnam. He was a good guy from the State of Missouri. He was my friend. We lived in the same tent together, went into An Khe together, and spend most of our free time together. I got to know this boy well, and he was my best friend. His name was Dan Davis.
On Monday morning, the 15th of November, he died in my arms of two bullet wounds in the chest. He said, "Ken, I can't breathe." There was nothing I could do.
To the right of me another friend, whose last name was Blango, died of a wound in the throat. Up front Sergeant Brown, my squad leader, was hit in the chest and leg. To my left Sp4c A. Learn was hit in the ankle.
We were crossing a field and were pinned down by automatic weapons fire from the enemy. We were pinned down for about 45 minutes before the rest of the platoon could get to us, and save the rest of us.
So went the biggest and worst battle that any American force has had in Vietnam. We outdone the Marines and Airborne by a long shot. Estimated V.C. killed, 2000. Our casualties, I cannot give the information out. The battle took place on the Cambodian border....
Our battalion, the 1st Bn. 7th Cav., is completely inactive due to the killed and wounded of its men. My squad which consists of nine men, three came out, myself, Sergeant Scott, and a boy named Stidell.
Folks, by all rights I should be dead. The good Lord evidently saw fit to spare me, for some reason. I prayed, and prayed and prayed some more, the three days we were in battle.
The many men that died, I will never forget. The odor of blood and decayed bodies, I will never forget. I am all right. I will never be the same though, never, never, never. If I have to go into battle again, if I am not killed, I will come out insane. I cannot see and go through it again. I know I can't. The friends I lost and the many again. I know I can't. The friends I lost and the many bodies I carried back to the helicopters to be lifted out, I will never forget.
The pen that I am writing this letter with belongs to Stash Arrows, the boy that rode up to Winchester with me, on my emergency leave. Pop, remember him. He was hit three times in the back. I don't know if he is still alive or not. I hope and pray he is. God, I hope so.
Folks, don't let these men die in vain. Appreciate what they are doing over here in Vietnam. They died protecting you all, and all the people in the United States. We just cannot have the enemy get to the folks back home. We have got to stop them here, before that happens. If it is God's will, we will do it. Tell the people back home to pray for us, as we need their prayers.....
We raised the American flag on the grounds. We were fighting on Tuesday, the 16th of November. It waved proudly for the Armed Forces and the people of America, as it did in so many battles won in World War II and Korea. I sat beside a tree and looked at it, and hoped I would never see the day it would be town down and destroyed.
Folks, I am glad Eddy is not here and my son Kenny is not here. I hope they never have to see or experience the horrors of war. I will give my life to see that they don't...
As always,
Your son,
Kenneth
I will put you into groups for your next task. IN YOUR GROUPS:
1. Look up the definition for primary works and secondary works.
2. In your groups create a Venn Diagram on poster board comparing and contrasting the three pieces. Include what each piece is (primary or secondary). You should have 7 things in each. The format is up on the board and an example is on the board.
3. Put each story in a different color on your group's poster and use a different color for the similarities
NOTE- For the similarities, you do not have to identify how two of the pieces are the same AND. You only have to find similarities between all three.
2. In your groups create a Venn Diagram on poster board comparing and contrasting the three pieces. Include what each piece is (primary or secondary). You should have 7 things in each. The format is up on the board and an example is on the board.
3. Put each story in a different color on your group's poster and use a different color for the similarities
NOTE- For the similarities, you do not have to identify how two of the pieces are the same AND. You only have to find similarities between all three.
GEOGRAPHY LESSON
DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENTS THAT FOLLOW ENTITLED GEOGRAPHY LESSON AND GEOGRAPHY LESSON WORKSHEET. IN PAIRS, READ THE POEM AND DO WHAT THE WORKSHEET INSTRUCTS YOU TO DO.
geography_lesson.pages | |
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geographylessonworksheet.pages | |
File Size: | 138 kb |
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THE SNIPER- By Liam O'Flaherty
This short story is set during the Irish Civil War. It follows a soldier on a mission as a sniper. Download the document below called The Sniper- with questions. As you read the story there are questions in the margins. Answer these questions on a pages document and submit them on turnitin.com.
the_sniper-_with_questions.pages | |
File Size: | 177 kb |
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POETRY OF WAR- Group Facilitation
You have been assigned a poem that comes from an American war (you can download your poem below these instructions). Today you should do the following:
Have someone in your group read the poem aloud
Read the poem again and take in line by line. Rewrite each line telling what your group thinks it means.
Identify and write down the theme and mood (Theme = main idea, mood = attitude)
Connect the title with the poem. Write down how the title fits.
Write three questions that you can ask the class about your poem to make sure they are listening when you present.
Tomorrow your group will present your poem. Your presentations will include the following:
You will read the poem aloud to the class (can be one person, can be more than one)
One person will read your group’s translations.
One person will tell the class what the theme and mood are and why you think that.
One person will explain how your group thinks the title fits in to the story.
One person will ask the class your three questions and wait for a response for each one.
Every person in the group must speak. Some people in the group may have to present more than one thing.
Have someone in your group read the poem aloud
Read the poem again and take in line by line. Rewrite each line telling what your group thinks it means.
Identify and write down the theme and mood (Theme = main idea, mood = attitude)
Connect the title with the poem. Write down how the title fits.
Write three questions that you can ask the class about your poem to make sure they are listening when you present.
Tomorrow your group will present your poem. Your presentations will include the following:
You will read the poem aloud to the class (can be one person, can be more than one)
One person will read your group’s translations.
One person will tell the class what the theme and mood are and why you think that.
One person will explain how your group thinks the title fits in to the story.
One person will ask the class your three questions and wait for a response for each one.
Every person in the group must speak. Some people in the group may have to present more than one thing.
war_old_war_dreams.doc | |
File Size: | 47 kb |
File Type: | doc |
war-_aftermath.doc | |
File Size: | 46 kb |
File Type: | doc |
war_survivors.doc | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
File Type: | doc |
war-_does_it_matter | |
File Size: | 44 kb |
File Type: | war- does it matter |
war-_memorial_day.doc | |
File Size: | 27 kb |
File Type: | doc |
war-_watchingwarmovies.doc | |
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OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN!- By Walt Whitman
Download the document below.
o_captain_eng_2.pages | |
File Size: | 161 kb |
File Type: | pages |
YOUR NEXT TASK
IN FLANDERS FIELD IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS POEMS RESULTING FROM WAR IN AMERICAN HISTORY. CONDUCT SOME RESEARCH OVER THIS FAMOUS POEM AND RECORD WHAT YOU FIND ON A STICKY NOTE ON YOUR COMPUTER. HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ANSWER:
1. Who wrote In Flanders Field?
2. When did he write it? (date)
3. Why did he write it? (what did he witness?)
4. What war is the poem from?
5. Why have poppies become a symbol of remembrance?
6. What is a poppy?
After you complete your research, copy and paste the link below in a new Firefox window. It will take you to a 5-question quiz over In Flanders Field. You may use the sticky note you used to record your information on this quiz.
https://docs.google.com/a/hdcsd.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDJ0YXdhSFhaUGc4Z1ZBWURWWXU3RWc6MQ
1. Who wrote In Flanders Field?
2. When did he write it? (date)
3. Why did he write it? (what did he witness?)
4. What war is the poem from?
5. Why have poppies become a symbol of remembrance?
6. What is a poppy?
After you complete your research, copy and paste the link below in a new Firefox window. It will take you to a 5-question quiz over In Flanders Field. You may use the sticky note you used to record your information on this quiz.
https://docs.google.com/a/hdcsd.org/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDJ0YXdhSFhaUGc4Z1ZBWURWWXU3RWc6MQ
THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER
Before the modern technologies that we use in war now, there was more focus on the capabilities of the individual soldier. Open a blank pages document and record 7-10 character traits a soldier would need to be good at his job.
Next, read through the three poems below called An Irish Airman Foresees his Death, The Man he Killed, and The Soldier. For each poem answer the following three questions on the same document as your character traits you listed from before: 1. Why has the speaker gone to war? Record the line(s) of the poem that make you think this. 2. What is the speaker's attitude toward his country? Record the line(s) from the poem that make you think this. 3. What is the speaker's attitude toward his enemy? Record the line(s) from the poem that make you think this.
Finally, look back at the 7-10 character traits you identified for a "good" soldier. Based on those, and the answer to your questions above, write a paragraph on the same document explaining who you think is the best soldier from the three poems and tell me why you think that. Use examples from the text. The paragraph should be written in complete sentences with a topic sentence and should be grammatically correct.
An example topic sentence for this paragraph could be something like "The speaker from The Man he Killed would make the best soldier for several reasons." This topic sentence tells the reader which speaker would be the best soldier, and tells us that they are about to give the reasons why in the sentences to follow.
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death- By William Butler Yeats
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
The Man he Killed- By Thomas Hardy
Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have set us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!
But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.
I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although
He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like—just as I--
Was out of work—had sold his traps--
No other reason why.
Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.
The Soldier- By Rupert Brooke
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENT BELOW CALLED SOLDIER PARAGRAPH INSTRUCTIONS FOR MORE COMPLETE DIRECTIONS.
Next, read through the three poems below called An Irish Airman Foresees his Death, The Man he Killed, and The Soldier. For each poem answer the following three questions on the same document as your character traits you listed from before: 1. Why has the speaker gone to war? Record the line(s) of the poem that make you think this. 2. What is the speaker's attitude toward his country? Record the line(s) from the poem that make you think this. 3. What is the speaker's attitude toward his enemy? Record the line(s) from the poem that make you think this.
Finally, look back at the 7-10 character traits you identified for a "good" soldier. Based on those, and the answer to your questions above, write a paragraph on the same document explaining who you think is the best soldier from the three poems and tell me why you think that. Use examples from the text. The paragraph should be written in complete sentences with a topic sentence and should be grammatically correct.
An example topic sentence for this paragraph could be something like "The speaker from The Man he Killed would make the best soldier for several reasons." This topic sentence tells the reader which speaker would be the best soldier, and tells us that they are about to give the reasons why in the sentences to follow.
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death- By William Butler Yeats
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
The Man he Killed- By Thomas Hardy
Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have set us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!
But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.
I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although
He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like—just as I--
Was out of work—had sold his traps--
No other reason why.
Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.
The Soldier- By Rupert Brooke
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENT BELOW CALLED SOLDIER PARAGRAPH INSTRUCTIONS FOR MORE COMPLETE DIRECTIONS.
soldier_paragraph_instructions.pages | |
File Size: | 167 kb |
File Type: | pages |
AT HOME
The general focus of war is on the battle itself and the people who are involved in the actual fighting. Casualties occur at the front, but the victims of any war would also include the loved ones left behind. Read these three poems for a look at this perspective (below):
Come up from the Fields, Father- By Walt Whitman
Father Leaves for Vietnam- By Leonard D. Moore
Grandmother on the Porch- By Leonard D. Moore
Answer the following questions on the same document you have been working on for the last week.
1. Who is the speaker for each poem?
2. What is the tone of each piece? (tone = attitude)
3. How do lines 3-10 of "Come Up From the Fields, Father"contribute to the overall effect?
4. For each poem, write down the line(s) you find the most important or emotional. Why?
5. What is the theme of each piece? (Theme = Main Idea)
Come up from the Fields, Father- By Walt Whitman
Come up from the fields, father, here's a letter from our Pete,
And come to the front door, mother, here's
a letter from thy dear son.
Lo, 'tis autumn,
Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower and redder,
Cool and sweeten Ohio's villages with leaves
fluttering in the moderate wind,
Where apples ripe in the orchards hang and
grapes on the trellis'd vines,
(Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines?
Smell you the buckwheat where the bees were lately buzzing?)
Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent
after the rain, and with wondrous clouds,
Below too, all calm, all vital and beautiful,
and the farm prospers well.
Down in the fields all prospers well,
But now from the fields come, father, come
at the daughter's call,
And come to the entry, mother, to the front door come right away.
Fast as she can she hurries, something ominous,
her steps trembling,
She does not tarry to smooth her hair nor
adjust her cap.
Open the envelope quickly,
0 this is not our son's writing, yet his name
is sign'd,
0 a strange hand writes for our dear son,
0 stricken mother's soul!
All swims before her eyes, flashes with black,
she catches the main words only,
Sentences broken, gunshot wound in the breast,
cavalry skirmish, taken to hospital,
At present low, but will soon be better.
Ah, now the single figure to me,
Amid all teeming and wealthy Ohio with all
its cities and farms,
Sickly white in the face and dull in the head,
very faint,
By the jamb of a door leans.
Grieve not so, dear mother (the just-grown
daughter speaks through her sobs,
The little sisters huddle around speechless and
dismay'd),
See, dearest mother, the letter says Pete will
soon be better.
Alas, poor boy, he will never be better (nor maybe
needs to be better, that brave and simple soul),
While they stand at home at the door he is
dead already,
The only son is dead.
But the mother needs to be better,
She with thin form presently drest in black,
By day her meals untouch'd, then at night
fitfully sleeping, often waking,
In the midnight waking, weeping, longing with
one deep longing,
0 that she might withdraw unnoticed, silent
from life escape and withdraw,
To follow, to seek, to be with her dear dead
son.
My Father Leaves for Vietnam- By Leonard D. Moore
When my father let loose my mother
from his outstretched arms,
he stared into her eyes,
as if wanting to see his pain.
I had never seen him cry.
His eyes dammed the water.
I felt my mother's heart drumming in me.
He looked down and
whispered in my ear, "I'll be back,
don't be afraid,"
then he turned away.
He boarded the Greyhound.
I held my mother's hand and looked
at him climbing the steps.
He sat and hung his hand out the window,
I watched the bus fade.
I have never understood why he had to go,
although my mother cupped me in her arms,
as if she still could reach my father.
Grandmother on the Porch- By Leonard D. Moore
A month after Father left us in khakis,
she came to visit us.
Words were fewer than usual.
All day she sat on the porch
facing the thick field of wavering corn.
When Mother went into the house to cook,
she turned toward me.
She whispered, "I keep thinking
of your Daddy in Vietnam."
I pushed my nine-year-old hands into my pockets
and said, "Me, too. I want him
to take me fishing again."
She dabbed here eyes and said,
"My son must have us on his mind."
Mother came to the door and stood,
with flour on her hands.
"If Daddy can't be here," I said,
Why can't I be him?"
Grandmother's eyes were a blank.
Come up from the Fields, Father- By Walt Whitman
Father Leaves for Vietnam- By Leonard D. Moore
Grandmother on the Porch- By Leonard D. Moore
Answer the following questions on the same document you have been working on for the last week.
1. Who is the speaker for each poem?
2. What is the tone of each piece? (tone = attitude)
3. How do lines 3-10 of "Come Up From the Fields, Father"contribute to the overall effect?
4. For each poem, write down the line(s) you find the most important or emotional. Why?
5. What is the theme of each piece? (Theme = Main Idea)
Come up from the Fields, Father- By Walt Whitman
Come up from the fields, father, here's a letter from our Pete,
And come to the front door, mother, here's
a letter from thy dear son.
Lo, 'tis autumn,
Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower and redder,
Cool and sweeten Ohio's villages with leaves
fluttering in the moderate wind,
Where apples ripe in the orchards hang and
grapes on the trellis'd vines,
(Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines?
Smell you the buckwheat where the bees were lately buzzing?)
Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent
after the rain, and with wondrous clouds,
Below too, all calm, all vital and beautiful,
and the farm prospers well.
Down in the fields all prospers well,
But now from the fields come, father, come
at the daughter's call,
And come to the entry, mother, to the front door come right away.
Fast as she can she hurries, something ominous,
her steps trembling,
She does not tarry to smooth her hair nor
adjust her cap.
Open the envelope quickly,
0 this is not our son's writing, yet his name
is sign'd,
0 a strange hand writes for our dear son,
0 stricken mother's soul!
All swims before her eyes, flashes with black,
she catches the main words only,
Sentences broken, gunshot wound in the breast,
cavalry skirmish, taken to hospital,
At present low, but will soon be better.
Ah, now the single figure to me,
Amid all teeming and wealthy Ohio with all
its cities and farms,
Sickly white in the face and dull in the head,
very faint,
By the jamb of a door leans.
Grieve not so, dear mother (the just-grown
daughter speaks through her sobs,
The little sisters huddle around speechless and
dismay'd),
See, dearest mother, the letter says Pete will
soon be better.
Alas, poor boy, he will never be better (nor maybe
needs to be better, that brave and simple soul),
While they stand at home at the door he is
dead already,
The only son is dead.
But the mother needs to be better,
She with thin form presently drest in black,
By day her meals untouch'd, then at night
fitfully sleeping, often waking,
In the midnight waking, weeping, longing with
one deep longing,
0 that she might withdraw unnoticed, silent
from life escape and withdraw,
To follow, to seek, to be with her dear dead
son.
My Father Leaves for Vietnam- By Leonard D. Moore
When my father let loose my mother
from his outstretched arms,
he stared into her eyes,
as if wanting to see his pain.
I had never seen him cry.
His eyes dammed the water.
I felt my mother's heart drumming in me.
He looked down and
whispered in my ear, "I'll be back,
don't be afraid,"
then he turned away.
He boarded the Greyhound.
I held my mother's hand and looked
at him climbing the steps.
He sat and hung his hand out the window,
I watched the bus fade.
I have never understood why he had to go,
although my mother cupped me in her arms,
as if she still could reach my father.
Grandmother on the Porch- By Leonard D. Moore
A month after Father left us in khakis,
she came to visit us.
Words were fewer than usual.
All day she sat on the porch
facing the thick field of wavering corn.
When Mother went into the house to cook,
she turned toward me.
She whispered, "I keep thinking
of your Daddy in Vietnam."
I pushed my nine-year-old hands into my pockets
and said, "Me, too. I want him
to take me fishing again."
She dabbed here eyes and said,
"My son must have us on his mind."
Mother came to the door and stood,
with flour on her hands.
"If Daddy can't be here," I said,
Why can't I be him?"
Grandmother's eyes were a blank.
WAR AND POP CULTURE
WAR HAS BEEN A POPULAR SUBJECT IN POP CULTURE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ATTACKS ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. SONGS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND PERFORMED TO RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICES AMERICAN SOLDIERS HAVE MADE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. READ THE 3 SONGS BELOW AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1. WHICH SONG DO YOU THINK MOST ACCURATELY PORTRAYS THE INTENSITY OF THE EFFECTS OF WAR AND WHY?
2. AS YOU READ THROUGH EACH SONG, WHAT IMAGES ARE IN YOUR MIND FOR EACH ONE. BE SPECIFIC. ALSO, TELL WHAT LINES GIVE YOU THOSE IMAGES. (EXAMPLE: For the first song I just picture a marine who is tired from combat with his head in his hands next to an American flag. The line "Cause freedom don't come free" gives me this image because it is a picture of complete and total sacrifice.)
GIVE AT LEAST 2 IMAGES FOR EACH SONG.
3. Look back at the lyrics from The 8th of November. Make a list of specific references from the war. (Example: M-16, dropped in the jungle, 1,200 went down)
. Which song is your favorite AND WHY?
AMERICAN SOLDIER- Toby Kieth
I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don’t do it for money, there’s bills that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility
Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.
I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.
An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m an American, an American, an American, Soldier.
COME HOME SOON- Shedaisy
I put away the groceries
And I take my daily bread
I dream of your arms around me
As I tuck the kids in bed
I don't know what you're doin'
And I don't know where you are
But I look up at that great big sky
And I hope you're wishin' on that same
bright star
I wonder, I pray
[Chorus:]
And I sleep alone
I cry alone
And it's so hard livin' here on my own
So please, come home soon
(Come home soon)
I know that we're together
Even though we're far apart
And I'll wear our lucky penny 'round my neck
Pressed to my heart
I wonder, I pray
[Repeat Chorus]
[Bridge:]
I still imagine your touch
It's beautiful missing something that much
But sometimes love needs a fighting chance
So I'll wait my turn until it's our turn to dance
I wonder, I pray
[Second Chorus:]
I sleep alone
I cry alone
Without you this house is not a home
So please, come home soon
[Third Chorus:]
I walk alone
I try alone
I'll wait for you, don't want to die alone
So please, come home soon
Come home soon
Come home soon
The 8th of November- Big and Rich
Said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.
He was dropped in the jungle
Where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air.
And the sergeant said, "Look up ahead"
Like a dark, evil cloud
1,200 came down
on him and 29 more.
They fought for their lives
But most of them died
In the 173rd Airborne.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.
Now he's fifty-eight
And his ponytail's grey
But the battle still plays in his head.
He limps when he walks,
But he's strong when he talks
About the shrapnel they left in his leg.
He puts on a grey suit
Over his Airborne tattoo
And He ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen,
As he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around,
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.
The 8th of November
The 8th of November
He said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.
1. WHICH SONG DO YOU THINK MOST ACCURATELY PORTRAYS THE INTENSITY OF THE EFFECTS OF WAR AND WHY?
2. AS YOU READ THROUGH EACH SONG, WHAT IMAGES ARE IN YOUR MIND FOR EACH ONE. BE SPECIFIC. ALSO, TELL WHAT LINES GIVE YOU THOSE IMAGES. (EXAMPLE: For the first song I just picture a marine who is tired from combat with his head in his hands next to an American flag. The line "Cause freedom don't come free" gives me this image because it is a picture of complete and total sacrifice.)
GIVE AT LEAST 2 IMAGES FOR EACH SONG.
3. Look back at the lyrics from The 8th of November. Make a list of specific references from the war. (Example: M-16, dropped in the jungle, 1,200 went down)
. Which song is your favorite AND WHY?
AMERICAN SOLDIER- Toby Kieth
I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don’t do it for money, there’s bills that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility
Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.
I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.
An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m an American, an American, an American, Soldier.
COME HOME SOON- Shedaisy
I put away the groceries
And I take my daily bread
I dream of your arms around me
As I tuck the kids in bed
I don't know what you're doin'
And I don't know where you are
But I look up at that great big sky
And I hope you're wishin' on that same
bright star
I wonder, I pray
[Chorus:]
And I sleep alone
I cry alone
And it's so hard livin' here on my own
So please, come home soon
(Come home soon)
I know that we're together
Even though we're far apart
And I'll wear our lucky penny 'round my neck
Pressed to my heart
I wonder, I pray
[Repeat Chorus]
[Bridge:]
I still imagine your touch
It's beautiful missing something that much
But sometimes love needs a fighting chance
So I'll wait my turn until it's our turn to dance
I wonder, I pray
[Second Chorus:]
I sleep alone
I cry alone
Without you this house is not a home
So please, come home soon
[Third Chorus:]
I walk alone
I try alone
I'll wait for you, don't want to die alone
So please, come home soon
Come home soon
Come home soon
The 8th of November- Big and Rich
Said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.
He was dropped in the jungle
Where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air.
And the sergeant said, "Look up ahead"
Like a dark, evil cloud
1,200 came down
on him and 29 more.
They fought for their lives
But most of them died
In the 173rd Airborne.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.
Now he's fifty-eight
And his ponytail's grey
But the battle still plays in his head.
He limps when he walks,
But he's strong when he talks
About the shrapnel they left in his leg.
He puts on a grey suit
Over his Airborne tattoo
And He ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen,
As he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around,
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.
The 8th of November
The 8th of November
He said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.