This term paper aims at analysing the change of the traditional war hero during the First World War. When the Great War began in 1914 people were still believing that war meant splendid cavalry charges associated with heroic glamour. Officers were polishing their sabres and their steeds. But this war would be different. It brought an end to sabres, cavalry and heroic charges. It also brought an end to the prewar hero and changed the idea of heroism significantly.
The examined works are "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son", by J.R.R. Tolkien and selected poems by well-known trench poets of the Great War among them Rupert Brooke, Robert Graves, and most importantly Wilfred Owen. Tolkien’s work distinctly rejects the traditional concept of heroism, whereas not all trench poets broke with the concept completely as will be demonstrated. Tolkien’s work is difficult to place, as it is a form of comment on the Old English heroic poem "The Battle of Maldon", published in the 20th century after Tolkien himself had seen two World Wars. In order to fully understand Tolkien’s "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son" this paper will first give an insight into the traditional Maldon poem. Likewise, before the poems of the trench poets will be discussed and compared to Tolkien’s work, a short historic outline of the hero immediately preceding the Great War is provided. After the relevant works have been introduced, the works of Tolkien and the trench poets will be compared.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1 The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
1.1 The Battle of Maldon
1.2 Tolkien’s Heroism
1.3 The Heroic Figure of Beorhtnoth
1.4 The Role of Tídwald and Torhthelm
2 Great War Poetry
2.1 The Pre-War Hero
2.2 The Soldier Poet’s Words
2.3 The Poetry of Wilfred Owen
2.4 The Poetry of Robert Graves and Rupert Brooke
3 Beorhtnoth and the works of the Trench Poets
4 Conclusion
5 Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the evolution and transformation of the concept of the "war hero" during the First World War. It contrasts the traditional heroic ideals found in older literature with the grim realities experienced by soldiers in the trenches, specifically analyzing J.R.R. Tolkien’s "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son" alongside poetry from Wilfred Owen, Robert Graves, and Rupert Brooke.
- The transition from traditional, romanticized heroism to modern disillusionment.
- The influence of Old English heroic poetry on 20th-century war literature.
- The impact of mechanized warfare on the psyche and poetry of soldier-poets.
- Comparative analysis of how different authors interpret "heroic" behavior versus the reality of sacrifice.
- The role of leadership, pride, and "ofermod" in historical and modern military contexts.
Excerpt from the Book
The Poetry of Wilfred Owen
According to O’Keeffe (1972: 72), Owen “had been nurtured on the aestheticism of the Georgians, of Tennyson, and particularly of Keats, but the irrelevance of poetry of excessive self-pity and beauty to Owen's life on the Western Front became distressingly clear.” Owen’s preface to his collection of poems Poems of Wilfred Owen (edited by Sassoon) stresses that the poetry of Owen is not as much about poetry as it is about pity and focusses on the realism. Today Owen represents “neither a hero nor a coward, but a sacrifice”, asserts Hynes (qtd. in Pividori 2012: 140). Owen, like many other alongside him was brought up a devout Christian, only to loose his faith in the muddy fields of Flanders (Mahmud 2008: 26-27). His poetry tells of the boredom, helplessness, and horror the soldiers experienced on the battlefields of the Western Front, but above all he describes the futility of the Great War, in which almost a whole generation of young men was wiped out.
Owen met Siegfried Sassoon while staying at Craiglockhart Hospital (Webb 2006: 344). Siegfried Sassoon, a fellow soldier and poet, had significant influence, on the work of Owen, since they shared opinions and experience. The meeting of the two poets seems to have been a turning point for Owen’s writing, since afterwards he dares to strip his poetry of all poetic euphemisms and resolves to tell of the ugly truth of the war (Mahmud 2008: 27). In the preface to his poems, he said
This book is not about heroes. English Poetry is not yet fit to speak of them. Nor is it about deeds or lands, nor anything about glory, honour, dominion or power, except War. Above all, this book is not concerned with Poetry. The subject of it is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity. (Owen 1976: 137)
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the paper's focus on the transformation of the war hero and introduces the primary texts by Tolkien and various trench poets.
1 The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth: Examines Tolkien’s reinterpretation of "The Battle of Maldon" and explores his critique of traditional heroic ideals and leadership failures.
2 Great War Poetry: Analyzes the pre-war construction of the hero and the subsequent shift in poetic focus toward the disillusionment and realism of trench warfare.
3 Beorhtnoth and the works of the Trench Poets: Synthesizes the comparison between Tolkien’s critique of medieval leadership and the trench poets' personal testimonies of modern warfare.
4 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that while traditional heroism was largely debunked by the reality of WWI, the soldiers' endurance remains a distinct, though non-glamorous, form of sacrifice.
5 Bibliography: Lists the academic resources, primary texts, and critical analyses consulted for this study.
Keywords
Heroism, World War I, Tolkien, Trench Poets, Wilfred Owen, The Battle of Maldon, Ofemod, Disillusionment, Military Leadership, Poetry, Sacrifice, Realism, Modernism, Rupert Brooke, Robert Graves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core objective of this research paper?
The paper aims to analyze how the concept of the traditional war hero changed during the First World War by comparing J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary critique with the firsthand accounts of WWI soldier-poets.
Which central themes are explored throughout the work?
The main themes include the breakdown of pre-war romanticized military ideals, the impact of mechanized slaughter on poetic expression, and the contrast between heroic rhetoric and the reality of mass casualty.
What is the primary research question?
The research explores whether the traditional "war hero" survived the encounter with the industrialized atrocities of the Great War and how contemporary literature adapted its definition of heroism.
Which scientific or analytical methods are applied?
The paper uses literary analysis and comparative thematic study, applying Frye’s "Theory of Modes" to categorize the heroic status of characters and soldiers in the examined works.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body investigates Tolkien’s "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth" as a critique of prideful leadership, followed by an analysis of how trench poets like Wilfred Owen stripped war poetry of patriotic euphemisms.
Which terms best characterize this academic study?
Key terms include war heroism, historical critique, trench poetry, literary disillusionment, and the evolution of the heroic archetype.
How does the paper define the concept of 'ofermod' in relation to Beorhtnoth?
The paper discusses 'ofermod' as 'overmastering pride', arguing that Beorhtnoth’s decision to allow enemies to cross the causeway was a vanity-driven error that cost his men their lives.
Why does the author contrast Wilfred Owen with Rupert Brooke?
Owen represents the disillusioned soldier who depicts war’s horror, whereas Brooke represents the pre-war romanticized view that maintained the image of the noble, sacrificial gentleman-hero.
- Quote paper
- Felicitas Deckert (Author), 2020, For King And Country. The Change of the War Heroes in Poetry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1160714
