The Great War Poetry- 'Does It Matter' Siegfried Sassoon

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 6

Does It Matter?

Siegfried Sassoon

Before we start..

A short test to see what you remember

In The Soldier, why was the concealed dust 'richer'?

1. It was made of gold.
2. It was made of honour.
3. It was made by a rich man.
4. I have absolutely no idea.

What is a stanza?

Let's continue

Does It Matter?

by Siegfried Sassoon

About the author

• Siegfried Sassoon
• 1886 - 1967
• Joined army

What does the year of his death (1967) tell us?

About the author

• Survived the war
• Met Owen in 1917 and
  influenced his work.

Look at the poem... 

What is the same with each stanza?

Answer

They all start with a question. We'll see later on why this is important.

Explain why this poem can be seen as ironic or sarcastic.

Discuss in pairs or groups of three.

Correct answer

• Each situation (question) described in the first line of each stanza is quite horrific
  
• These situations are all after-effects from the war
  
• However, they are all nullified by the ‘advantages’ given in the rest of the stanza
  
• Therefore they do not seem to matter.

What is the theme of this poem?

Possible answers

anti-war

horrors of the war

perception of mental health

Literary terms:

Imagery- Imagery refers to the elements of a poem that engage a reader’s senses. These are the important sights, sounds, feelings, and smells.

Rhyme Scheme- The rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyme that’s used in a poem. It corresponds with the end sounds that feature in lines of verse.

Give examples of Imagery in this poem

Possible answers

being blind

losing limbs

going mad

Rhyme scheme

ABBCA

Task ahead

Look in your reader and answer the questions about 

"Does It Matter?"