We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy

“Homecoming” by Bruce Dawe

essay
The whole doc is available only for registered users

A limited time offer! Get a custom sample essay written according to your requirements urgent 3h delivery guaranteed

Order Now

Bruce Dawe’s “Homecoming” is a deeply moving poem, which follows the long journey home for the corpses of dead soldiers. The Vietnam war inspired Dawe to write this poem but it can easily be applied to any war. The message is the same – war kills and wastes lives.

The word ‘homecoming’ implies a time of reunion and joy. Dawe ironically uses ‘homecoming’ to depict the great sadness of dead soldiers transported back home. In the poem Dawe keeps repeating, “they’re bringing them home”, to emphasise this was meant to be a joyous moment for relatives and friends; instead, it is a moment of tragedy and grief .

“Homecoming” highlights the only product of war is death. Dawe creates war as a machine and its process line of churning out corpses with his use of many active verbs, “bringing”, “picking”, “zipping”,”tagging”, “giving” and “rolling”. Even more sorrowful is the fact the dead soldiers are referred to as “them”- they are no longer people, they are no longer worth anything to war.

Bruce Dawe effectively uses imagery to create a vividness in the reader’s mind. One of the most haunting images is the simile “telegrams tremble like leaves from a wintering tree” and there are so many telegrams being sent to relatives of the fallen soldiers, it is like a wintering tree. In winter, a tree usually loses most its leaves; war kills most soldiers.

Dawe’s anger towards the futility of war is clearly seen in the ironic last line of the poem, “they’re bringing them home, now, too late, too early.” The dead soldiers have finally arrived home but it’s too late because they’re already dead and too early because they didn’t finish their tour of duty and their lives are totally unfullfulled.

In conclusion, “Homecoming” presents war from a different perspective – the fallen soldiers. Soldiers should not be conscripted as pawns to fight a war for disputes between governments, as life is very precious; everyone deserves to live and fullfill their lives.

Related Topics

We can write a custom essay

According to Your Specific Requirements

Order an essay
icon
300+
Materials Daily
icon
100,000+ Subjects
2000+ Topics
icon
Free Plagiarism
Checker
icon
All Materials
are Cataloged Well

Sorry, but copying text is forbidden on this website. If you need this or any other sample, we can send it to you via email.

By clicking "SEND", you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We'll occasionally send you account related and promo emails.
Sorry, but only registered users have full access

How about getting this access
immediately?

Your Answer Is Very Helpful For Us
Thank You A Lot!

logo

Emma Taylor

online

Hi there!
Would you like to get such a paper?
How about getting a customized one?

Can't find What you were Looking for?

Get access to our huge, continuously updated knowledge base

The next update will be in:
14 : 59 : 59