Question

Compare and contrast the two poems after Blenheim and the patriot.

Answer 1

Michael Mack’s poem ‘A Small Pain in My Chest’ and Robert Southey’s ‘After Blenheim’ both are anti-war poems. But there is a difference in how the two poems dras out the pity of war. While ‘A Small Pain in My Chest’ is a depiction of a soldier boy’s feelings and emotions, ‘After Blenheim’ shows common people’s ignorance regarding war and its validity. While both the poems raise a war against the warmongers, Mack’s poem appeals to our heart but Southey’s poem appeals to our brain. While Michael chooses to gather public opinion against war through an emotional touch, Robert’s poem is a wake up call against the propagandists who befool the common people in believing in the greatness of war.