E-Learning Task 2

Children in the Darkness

Point of view
This poem is written from the view of an individual that has witnessed war, and is very pessimistic about it.

Evidence
He uses gloomy words such as "darkness" and "have not seen the light"

Elaboration
There is no stanza in the poem that states that war is good and has hope. All the stanza either gives a gloomy feeling or that the children are "kept in the darkness" and learns how to fight in wars.

Situation & setting
It is during a war.
Evidence
This can be seen from "Who someone will teach to fight" and "chalk and blackboard will not be"
Elaboration
These two short phrases states that children are "blind" as they do not have any education. Orphans and young boys with no education were sent to fight wars, instead of studying.
Language & Diction
The writer has successfully brought his message across, that war is bad. The gloomy and somber mood that the writer portrays has caused us to not believe that war is glorious.

Evidence
He uses words such as "darkness" and "no light". These words instill a gloomy mood in readers

Elaboration
As light, not in its literal meaning, usually portrays a scene that has hope, this poem does not show any hope, thus giving a gloomy mood. "Darkness" and "no light" tells us that war "has no hope" and thus portrays a gloomy and somber mood.

Personal response
I am also pessimistic about war. As humans, we should not kill one another as this is a very barbaric behaviour. War only brings about many deaths of the human race. These children's parents are very worried about their safety, and forcing uneducated children to go to war would bring tears to their parents. Thus I feel that war is terrible as it brings about many deaths and injuries.