Today's poem on Penny's Poetry Blog:
The Call, by Jessie Pope
[...]
Who's for the khaki suit –
Are you, my laddie?
Who longs to charge and shoot –
Do you, my laddie?
[..]

https://gdancesbetty.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-call-jessie-pope.html

George J. Dance wrote:
>
> Today's poem on Penny's Poetry Blog:
> The Call, by Jessie Pope
> [...]
> Who's for the khaki suit –
> Are you, my laddie?
> Who longs to charge and shoot –
> Do you, my laddie?
> [..]

> https://gdancesbetty.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-call-jessie-pope.html

Good, let's let Jessie Pope and her interesting poem have the stage.

On 2022-11-13 1:27 p.m., W.Dockery wrote:
> George J. Dance wrote:
>>
>> Today's poem on Penny's Poetry Blog:
>> The Call, by Jessie Pope
>> [...]
>> Who's for the khaki suit –
>> Are you, my laddie?
>> Who longs to charge and shoot –
>> Do you, my laddie?
>> [..]
>
>> https://gdancesbetty.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-call-jessie-pope.html
>
> Good, let's let Jessie Pope and her interesting poem have the stage.
>

it is an interesting poem. It's one of the few pro-war WWI poems I've
read; and while there were lots of them most are not all that good.
Rupert Brooke was very good, but he died so soon; I wonder how his
poetry would have evolved as the war progressed.

"The Call" stood out, though. It's crude, bombastic, and propagandistic,
and if you imagine the author as the speaker that's all you'll see.
OTOH, I read it as a Browning-type dramatic monologue, being spoken by a
recruiting sergeant; looked at that way, it's a very well done, with the
author capturing her speaker's voice perfectly. Even down to calling all
the youths "laddie" -- that makes me think of Pink's teacher in the
/Wall/ movie, and if I read it aloud I try to say it in his accent.

George J. Dance wrote:

> On 2022-11-13 1:27 p.m., W.Dockery wrote:
>> George J. Dance wrote:
>>>
>>> Today's poem on Penny's Poetry Blog:
>>> The Call, by Jessie Pope
>>> [...]
>>> Who's for the khaki suit –
>>> Are you, my laddie?
>>> Who longs to charge and shoot –
>>> Do you, my laddie?
>>> [..]
>>
>>> https://gdancesbetty.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-call-jessie-pope.html
>>
>> Good, let's let Jessie Pope and her interesting poem have the stage.
> >

> it is an interesting poem. It's one of the few pro-war WWI poems I've
> read; and while there were lots of them most are not all that good.
> Rupert Brooke was very good, but he died so soon; I wonder how his
> poetry would have evolved as the war progressed.

> "The Call" stood out, though. It's crude, bombastic, and propagandistic,
> and if you imagine the author as the speaker that's all you'll see.
> OTOH, I read it as a Browning-type dramatic monologue, being spoken by a
> recruiting sergeant; looked at that way, it's a very well done, with the
> author capturing her speaker's voice perfectly. Even down to calling all
> the youths "laddie" -- that makes me think of Pink's teacher in the
> /Wall/ movie, and if I read it aloud I try to say it in his accent.

Quite fascinating, brought to mind some of the ironic tunes by The Clash...

The Clash- The Call Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLX1yKhSXR4

George J. Dance wrote:

> On 2022-11-13 1:27 p.m., W.Dockery wrote:
>> George J. Dance wrote:
>>>
>>> Today's poem on Penny's Poetry Blog:
>>> The Call, by Jessie Pope
>>> [...]
>>> Who's for the khaki suit –
>>> Are you, my laddie?
>>> Who longs to charge and shoot –
>>> Do you, my laddie?
>>> [..]
>>
>>> https://gdancesbetty.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-call-jessie-pope.html
>>
>> Good, let's let Jessie Pope and her interesting poem have the stage.
> >

> it is an interesting poem. It's one of the few pro-war WWI poems I've
> read; and while there were lots of them most are not all that good.
> Rupert Brooke was very good, but he died so soon; I wonder how his
> poetry would have evolved as the war progressed.

> "The Call" stood out, though. It's crude, bombastic, and propagandistic,
> and if you imagine the author as the speaker that's all you'll see.
> OTOH, I read it as a Browning-type dramatic monologue, being spoken by a
> recruiting sergeant; looked at that way, it's a very well done, with the
> author capturing her speaker's voice perfectly. Even down to calling all
> the youths "laddie" -- that makes me think of Pink's teacher in the
> /Wall/ movie, and if I read it aloud I try to say it in his accent.

Something about the poem is a grabber, and the in character stuff (Ray Davies Britcentric work also comes to mind) is a good touch.