Poet’s Use of Mockery As Diction in PoemTom DinkelThe poet’s use of mockery as diction conveys his disillusioned attitudetoward the men that plan the battles without actually fighting in them. Usingthe words If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath, to describe themajors allows the reader to picture the majors as old, fat, out of shape menthat spend their days guzzling and gulping in the best hotel safe from anydanger. Fierce, bald and short of breath give the reader a negative feel forthe majors as they are not described in any positive manner. These terms causethe reader to feel disgust for the majors.
The poets use of the words guzzlingand gulping with their alliterative effect cause the reader to consider themajors as gluttons gathered at the table. When the reader completes his mentalpicture of the majors in the best hotel, the imagery of glory hogs is complete. The poet’s diction choice,”Reading the Roll of Honor. ‘Poor young chap, ‘ I’d say – ‘ I used toknow his father well; Yes, we’ve lost heavily in this last scrap. ‘ ” of casuallanguage attempts to make the war seem carefree and nonchalant. The word “chap”conveys an casual attitude towards the heroes as people.
It seems to elevatethe status of the majors to a false superior position. “Scrap” makes it seems asif the soldier’s death occurred on a playground, not a battlefield. It seems totrivialize war in general. “And when the war is done and the youth stone dead,I’d toddle safely home and die – in bed. “The poet’s last lines give the reader an insight into the true wishes of thesoldier.
The youth stone dead allow the reader to acknowledge the finality ofdeath and the wasted lives of the young soldiers while the old, fat men areallowed the luxury of living to old age and then dying in their own beds. “Toddle” is a word that not only describes the gait of the fat, old men but alsothe irony of the youth stone dead and the fat, old men waddling home. Throughhis use of mocking diction, the poet conveys his disgusted attitude towards thetoddling old men dying in their beds while the good die young.Philosophy
