Soldier's_Role

​One of the greatest pains known to man goes overlooked by the plenty who are blessed to not have to face it; it is war. In the poem “Soldier’s Role,” by Curt Bennett, some of the few harsh conditions of war are expressed through the use of personification, imagery, and diction, which helps to communicate and support the theme stating that war is over glorified and the unseen horrors go overlooked. The points of war talked about involve the harsh field of work, their roles, and their roles. Throughout this poem, a detailed portrait of war is painted onto our mental canvas. ​The battlefield is one of the most dreaded places to be stuck in, and as a soldier, it is your daily work field. In “Soldier’s Role,” the soldiers are in a jungle-like mountainous terrain. Line 1 uses personification to describe the atmosphere the men are put up against by saying, “The sun burns down with scorching breathe.” (Bennett 1) This personification combined with other lines like lines 4, “They hump the jungle, mile on mile” (Bennett 1) and line 10, “The wet boots suck from clinging mud,” (Bennett 2) provokes a sense of sympathy from readers, portraying how harsh war truly is. ​In addition to their harsh work field, the condition of the group of men is just as awful. All throughout “Soldier’s Role,” Curt Bennett uses imagery to paint a descriptive picture of the poem. For example, in line 11-12, Bennett says “And rub great blisters full of blood on swollen feet.” (Bennett 2) From this we know that the men are exhausted, tired, and on the brink of passing out. This statement supports the theme because such harsh conditions from walking miles on bloody blistered feet is barely the tip of the iceberg on how dreadful war is. ​Another aspect, also commonly overlooked, is the fast paced action on the battlefield. Bennett uses diction in lines 6-7 stating, “The fuzz-cheeked leader ahead guides them on.” (Bennett 2) The use of “fuzz cheeked leader” implies that the leader guiding them on is inexperienced because of his youth. It can also be implied that more experienced ranks high than him have been killed, so he is the one left in charge. This further proves the theme because of the horrors of war where a group of men are being led by an inexperienced 18 year old to their death. ​Through the utilization of personification, imagery, and diction, Curt Bennett expressed the theme that war is over glorified and the unseen horrors go overlooked. Personification was used to describe the hot sun the men had to deal with along with the battered condition of the men, which was described via imagery. Diction was then used to reinforce said ideas by describing the stressful situations the men are placed in. This being said, the plenty are blessed to not have to be exposed to war.