1. Smile, Smile, Smile by Wilfred Owen
Presentation by:
Melanie Portal
Rabeea Khalid
IB English 12 SL

2. About the Poet Wilfred Owen 18 March 1893 – 4 November 1918
Most of his famous works were published posthumously
Killed in action (Battle of the Sambre)
Died a week before the war ended

3. About the Poem Written on 23rd September 1918 in France
Written after Owen rejoined his regiment at Scarborough [after recovering from Neurasthenia (shell shock) at Craiglockhart Hospital]
Owen revised this poem when there was a lull (quiet period) in September 1918
Dated to be Owen’s last complete poem
Known to be explicitly satirical (mocking) and politically subversive (rebellious)

4. Manuscripts

5. Background Information
Owen writes about 2 events:
French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau refused Austria’s peace offer because it would betray the troops
In London, pictures were being published of three smiling wounded men
The caption read “Happy”
Owen felt disgusted and shared his disgust with Sassoon

6. Thesis
Wilfred Owen exposes the reality and harshness of the war in this satirical poem by contrasting propaganda and realism through the use of literary devices and diction.

7. Origin of the Title
Comes from a very popular marching song of WWI called “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile”
Originally written by George Henry Powell
Aimed at maintaining moral, recruiting forces, and defending Britain’s war aims
Fitting to poem due to it’s sarcastic nature

8. ♪ ♫ Pack Your Bags ♫ ♪ Performed by Murray Johnson 1916
Performed by Reinald Werrenrath 1917
Performed by Spiked Jones and his City Slickers 1942
Courtesy:

9. Summary of the Poem Lines 1-4: scene is set
wounded soldiers are reading the latest drivel (a worthless message) from the Daily Mail
Lines 5-17: propaganda message written in the Daily Mail
Lines 18-23: reality of the war
Lines 24-26: ironic conclusion

10. Vocabulary Limp (1): not firm
Sunk (1): doomed to extinction, depressed, dejected
Mail (2): refers to the Daily Mail, a British newspaper
Booty (3): plunder taken from an enemy in time of war
Haul (3): analogy - a fish caught in a net
Aerodromes (7): any location from which aircraft flying operations take place
Undying: never ending
Stead (11): the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another
Solidly (11): with strength and soundness, firm manner

11. Vocabulary Indemnified (12): secure against future loss
Victory (13): a successful ending of a struggle
Integrity (17): accordance with the relevant moral values, norms and rules
Chafe (18): feel extreme irritation or anger
Curiously (19): beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
Broad (24): wide, having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
Rings (25): vibrating sound
Poor (26): lacking in specific resources, qualities or substances
Things (26): an entity that is not named specifically

12. Who is Speaking?
Owen
Usually, poets strive to create their own individual voices
The 2 events are not personally experienced by Owen
Thus, “I” isn’t used

13. To Whom? No one specifically
Owen is speaking to the British people in general and trying to notify them about the sham that the newspapers are creating
Unlike his other poems, Owen does NOT use the word “you”
No link to the reader is being made

14. Setting Beaten up and wounded soldiers are reading the newspaper
“But smiled at one another curiously” (19)
implying that they are together reading the paper
possibly at a“England one by one had fled to France” (22)
communal place (ex. on the streets)
in France

15. Purpose To expose the nationalism that embraces
the soldiers and exploits them
“…their foremost need is aerodromes” (7)
“The sons we offered might regret they died / If we got nothing lasting in their stead” (10-11)
“We must be solidly indemnified.” (12)
“The greatest glory will be theirs who fought / Who kept this nation in integrity” (16-17)

16. Purpose To attack the Daily Mail’s vision of a victorious nation
“the casualties (typed small) / And (large) Vast Booty from our Latest Haul” (2-3)
“worthy Victory” (13)
Daily Mail censored the casualties yet displayed the Booty (goods obtained)
Daily Mail was notoriously jingoistic (infamously patriotic)

17. Purpose
To expose the potential bitterness towards society from those who survived
“Nation? -- the half-limped soldiers did not chafe” (18)
“But smiled at each other curiously” (19)
chafe: feel extreme irritation or anger
curiously: beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

18. Meter & Rhyme Single extended stanza
Can be divided into 6 quatrains (alternative rhyme scheme)
Propaganda section is a monotonous iambic meter
Other sections are trochees (metrical foot of two syllables, one long/stressed and one short/unstressed)
Trochee: opposite of the iamb
Contrast differentiates the sham from reality

19. Literary Devices Metaphors “making homes” (6)
settle down, quit fighting
“foremost need is aerodromes” (7)
need more people to fight, people are being compared to war utensils
“The sons we offered might regret they died / If we got nothing lasting in their stead” (10-11)
the young soldiers who previously joined and died, they will not be at peace if there is no one to replace them so join the army to give them peace

20. Literary Devices Metaphors (continued)
“We rulers sitting in this ancient spot”
“we rulers” refers to the newspaper
“ancient spot” is Britain
“England one by one had fled to France”
many English soldiers were in France to fight during the war

21. Literary Devices Personification “England one by one fled to France”
England = English soldiers
Alliteration – enhances rhythm
“Would wrong” (15)
“Greatest glory” (16)
Consonance – usually used to create harmony
“dead” (9) and “died” (10)
ironic

22. Literary Devices Repetition
“Head to limp head,” “sunk-eyed” (1) and “half-limbed” (18)
nationalism doesn’t pay attention to the mental and physical maiming of the soldiers
“Cheap homes” and “making homes”
many died and never got a chance to make a home and raise a family
“smiled” (19), “smiles”(24), “smile” (26)
appears 3 times
a link to title of poem

23. Diction & Connotation Caustic – harsh and corrosive in language
“limp head” (1)
“sunk-eyed” (1)
“half-limbed” (18)
The men who make up the nation are physically damaged

24. Diction & Connotation “The sons we offered” (10) sacrificial
“England one by one fled to France”
fled: an action done willingly yet the soldiers had to move to France to fight

25. Imagery & Symbolism
“limp head, sunk-eyed wounded” (1) “half-limbed readers” (18)
wounded soldiers = reality of war
“aerodromes” (7)
symbolizes that war must go on
“Sons we offered”(10)
sacrificial connotation which means they (people like the Majors in “Base Details) are not concerned about the young who died

26. Imagery & Symbolism “Solidly indemnified”(12)
image of staying strong and fortification; need for more soldiers to ensure victory
“like secret men who know their secret safe” (20)
the soldiers know the real truth

27. Tone & Mood Satirical – Sassoon’s influence on Owen
Propaganda section – enthusiastic
Other sections – patronizing tone
“The men’s first instinct will be making homes” (6)
instinctive actions rather than rational actions
“Peace would do wrong to our undying dead”(9)
the dead would resent the survival of others, insult to the dead

28. Tone & Mood & Atmosphere
“We rulers sitting in this ancient spot” (14)
we (Daily Mail) decide what to say
“How they smile! They’re happy now, poor things”
many suggest Owen is mocking the women, this line has a feminine touch; can be argued
Politically rebellious
“Nation?” (18)

29. Tension & Conflicts Propaganda Reality
More people are needed to cover up for the dead
If you fight, glory will be yours since you helped keep the nation in it’s integrity
Soldiers are maimed mentally and physically
They know England is no longer where it was before but rather where they are now
Soldiers “smiled curiously” because they know the real truth

30. Irony “It being certain war has just begun” (8)
war was coming to an end
“Peace would do wrong to our undying dead” (9)
peace should bring harmony and calmness, yet it would “do wrong”
“The sons we offered might regret they died” (10)
someone dead isn’t able to regret
“How they smile! They’re happy now, poor things” (26)
sarcastic and mockery

31. Theme
Owens's recurring theme of exposing the truth about the war is very prominent
“ Nation?” (18)
one way Owen exposes the soldiers real feelings and beliefs
Nationalism and how the soldiers have none left
The lies of propaganda

32. Conclusion Owen denounces nationalism
Creates a strong ironic image of war torn soldiers reading about the glory the war
Shows how propaganda in news papers and songs was used to try and recruit fit soldiers to join the war
Owen shows the readers the story from the soldier’s point of view
they know everything, including the fact that the glorification of war was just a big lie.

33. Art Aspect… Propaganda Poster
Both poem and poster convey the same message
Advertizing the need for more soldiers
Notice the capitalization on the top and bottom for emphasis
Dark background + light font = eye catching
“We must be solidly indemnified” (12) and poster have same meaning
Poster = heroic picture
Poem = “greatest glory will be theirs who fought” (16)

34. How We Feel About this Poem
Rabeea:
“I believe this poem not only is exposing the propaganda during WWI but it can also account for the continuous propaganda right now. We read newspapers daily about the Canadian or American army recruiting young men to fight for their country. They all fight, some die, some are left being amputees. Do they obtain glory? No, all they get is pain and misery. I believe this poem states just that. In this poem, even after fighting for their country, the soldiers are now “half-limbed” and are reading the jingoistic newspaper. After experiencing the war first-hand, they know the truth of the war.”

35. How We Feel About this Poem
Melanie:
“I really like the way Owen sets up this poem in the sense that it shows us what kind of nonsense the newspapers would write about and how they would exploit the soldiers in such inhumane ways. The papers say that the ones who died need to be replaced otherwise they will gain nothing and what they are doing is worthless. Owen did a good job of showing sarcastically what he thinks of this propaganda, and by writing “Nation?” with an question mark he shows his disgust. The fact that this poem is related to an actual song aimed to keep the troops in moral and keep them fighting sends a strong message and strengthens Owen's point.”

36. THE END