England to Her Sons - W. N. Hodgson

Form:

3 stanzas of 5 lines with the last longer line revealing the overall message of the stanza

Language:

- 'bore' England personified as a mother - patriotism - fighting for values close to their heart

- 'unto his beloved sleep' euphemism for death

- patriotic and romantic

- 'little' not much death

Structure:

-monosylabic "loss and failure, pain and death" hinting at the horrors of war ingrained in the middle  of the poem so the overall message remains positive

Tone:

-romanticised : war is about freedom and justice

-undertones of slight bitterness and resent, "little space to weep"

-jingoist

Reader response:

-propaganda - contemporary support - excitement of war

- modern angered by the persuasive language leading to the death of so many

Links :

- Happy is England Now

- High Wood