Andrew, Kathy, Leon, Andrea
This poem is about guilt, loss and choices.
 The poet is conveying to the readers that people
die in the war because of the decisions and
choices that are made.
 This shows signs of guilt in which a man
remembers his fallen comrades – “in their graves
my comrades are,” and laments not having acted
in a certain way. The author mentions the fact
that he remains alive because, unlike the others,
he failed to react in an honourable and
satisfactory manner – “I forgot and ran.”
 The title suggests that what happened to him
during the war is all he thinks about. It
dominates his dreams.
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The poem has a traditional structure, with two
four line stanzas. Each has an ABAB
structure.
The simple and concise form gives the effect
of a eulogy or lament- the narrator in the
poem is guilty and expresses only what must
be said.
The first line is a confession to the reader- the
poet ‘dreams’ of a ‘field afar’. As it is a dream,
it is a reflection on something which is affecting
him strongly.
 The neutral first line is suddenly disrupted with
“blood and smoke and shot” in line two,
introducing the theme of war.
 “There in their graves” sets the poem in a
physical place-the battlefield where the
narrators fellow soldiers died. The ‘comrades’
are referred to as such to build on the
war/battle image.
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 “And
blood and smoke and shot”
-Enjambment from the previous line
Smoke and shot- create an image of war
Also creates a violent atmosphere.
Relevance- we all know war can look very ugly
and terrifying, even today with lots of wars
in the middle east countries.
 My
dreams are of a field afar
1st person point of view
Dreams- implies fantasy
Field- sets the scene of a battlefield
Afar- direct emphasis the poets friends are far
from him since they died
( narratored by a survivor of the battlefield)
Housman would not be referring to himself
personally as he himself was never IN a war.
 “There
in the graves my comrades are”
There- preposition- very specific
Graves- negative imagery
Comrades- interesting use of vocabulary
instead of ‘friends’- may imply a sense of
patriotism
 “In my grave I am not”
Preposition- in
Repitition grave
I am not- poet is happy to be alive
Creates a more positive mood
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ABAB rhyme - a marching rhythm, like a soldier’s
march or a march towards death
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I too was taught the trade of man
 And spelt the lesson plain;
 “taught” “lesson” shows that fighting was
something to be learnt and was a skill to master
 “trade of man” - metaphor for the role of
soldiers and war, tone seems sarcastic and
ridiculing the job, perhaps the narrator was
trained to be a soldier but was not committed
and hence the underlying guilt in the poem.
Shows the expectations of “man” in society - to
fight and defend.
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But they, when I forgot and ran,
Remembered and remained.
contrasts the narrator to his fellow soldiers opposites “forgot...remembered” and
“ran...remained” and hence the guilt the narrator
feels for the others’ deaths.
also contrasts with the first line “I too...” and “But
they...” highlighting differences between the
narrator and his comrades.
listing - emotions are not contained - all the narrator
could do was run away from his duties as a soldier
while his friends died as heroes, his emotions can’t
be held in longer and the guilt is taking over his
dreams.
alliteration - the soldiers were all alike and followed
their duties
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Both poems depict the reality of war with the use gruesome
imagery. Cheng mentions, “masked threats and monsters
armed,” while Housman says “blood and smoke and shot.” The
poet shares to the readers their own experience of war through
imagery.
In the last stanza in Reservist, Cheng suggests that these soldiers
can perhaps be “unlikely heroes.” However, the speaker in ‘My
Dreams Are Of A Field Afar’ does not see himself as a hero who
fought for his country. This is because he was reluctant to fight
while the others fight for him. Now he feels the guilt in his
dreams – “In my grave I am not.”
‘My Dreams Are Of A Field Afar’ is a short poem as the narrator
wants to forget about his experience about war, but it still haunts
him in his dreams. ‘Reservist’ is a much longer poem which
proclaims that the narrator in this poem feels as though he
cannot get out of being involved in the war because as long as he
lives, he will always be a ‘reservist’ who should always be ready
to fight for his country.
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Compared to Cambodia
a contrast between a survivor and the dead - ie. “One man
shall... Five men shall be dead” in Cambodia and “Their in their
graves... In my grave I am not”
the feeling of guilt is conveyed as in Cambodia the one survivor
feels guilty and helpless that people are dying and he “shall live,
live to regret” and the underlying tone of guilt in My Dreams Are
Of A Field Afar with the constant comparisons between the
narrator and the fallen soldiers.
“One man shall wake from terror to his bed” show the
nightmares and the horror of the after effects of war from what
they have seen and witnessed in Cambodia while the whole poem
My Dreams Are Of A Field Afar is the narrator’s feelings of horror
and terror from experiencing war which have ultimately
destroyed his dreams.
Cambodia is a 20th Century poem whereas My Dreams Are Of A
Field Afar was written in the Victorian Era/Edwardian Era
showing how such themes remain the same even as time goes by.
Does this show that humanity doesn’t change its means of doing
such things? Is war the only way to resolve issues?
Similar structure-Housman uses 4 line
stanzas in both poems, and while the rhyme
schemes are not the same they are similar
(ABAB in Field Afar, ABCB in Liked You)
 Euphemism in both poems is apparent, as ‘in
their graves’ is a mild way of saying they
have been killed in battle, while ‘it irked
you’ is Housman expressing how opposed to
his affection his love was.
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Housman, whose father was a solicitor, was one
of seven children. He much preferred his
mother; and her death on his 12th birthday was
a cruel blow, which is surely one source of the
pessimism his poetry expresses. While a student
at Oxford, he was further oppressed by his
dawning realization of homosexual desires.
These came to focus in an intense love for one of
his fellow students, an athletic young man who
became his friend but who could not reciprocate
his love. In turmoil emotionally, Housman failed
to pass his final examination at Oxford, although
he had been a brilliant scholar.
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“A frail looking self-absorbed man of letters, A.E. Housman had no
attributes visibly suitable for the profession of arms. Nevertheless,
soldiering and the accidents of military life fascinated him; and a large
number of his poems, including some of his best ones, are on military and
warlike themes..”
Critics say that Housman’s fascination in such themes was because of
“their colourful uniforms and their destiny”, they were “men paid to die”
or because of their “relentless pursuit of glory”. The contradictory
reasons is what makes Housman’s poetry so fascinating.
He loved soldiers soldiers for being “not so much heroes as automatons”
"Although Housman's distinctive blend of sadness and savagery seems
dated and unappealing, his writings embody certain patriotic and critical
attitudes which no student of English culture can fail to ignore," declared
Tom Paulin in The Observer.
Housman frequently deals with the plight of the young soldier, and he is
usually able to maintain sympathy both for the youth who is the victim of
war and for the patriotic cause of the nation. Robert B. Pearsall
suggested in a 1967 PMLA essay that Housman dealt frequently with
soldiers because "the uniform tended to cure isolation and unpopularity,
and soldiers characteristically bask in mutual affection."
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The army insisted on minimum standards of education for
soldiers promoted to the rank of corporal and higher
standards for those promoted to sergeant or above. From
1871, there were compulsory education classes for new
recruits, though this was discontinued in 1888 as most
recruits had received at least rudimentary education to
the age of thirteen. The illiteracy rate within the army
declined from 90% in 1871 to almost zero by the 1890s,
though fewer than 40% of soldiers achieved (or perhaps
troubled to achieve) more than the lowest standard of
education required.
Restrictions on the number of soldiers who could marry
were eased, and all soldiers' wives could accompany their
husbands when they changed station (though not on
campaign). However, there was official and practical
discouragement of soldiers (and officers) who wished to
marry while young.
 Non
compulsory
 You don’t have to obtain a certain degree of
education
 War is considered bad
 A.E
Housman- same poet for “ because I
Liked you better”
 Rhyme scheme- abab
 Form spare and simple- may have direct
reference to the poets personality
 Link with picshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9FDaVY_pc
 Two stanza 3 lines each