\u201cO What Is That Sound\u201d by W.H. Auden and \u201cBetween the Wars\u201d by Billy Bragg each display a perspective on the post and the pre-war era of the 1930s. These texts present a worthwhile pairing because they each work to share the viewpoint of an individual living through a period of anxiety and uncertainty\u2014plagued by the memory of a previous war, and fearful of a new one. Additionally, they work to create an understanding of the feelings, concerns, and fears that consume us during such unpredictable times. Although Bragg\u2019s 1985 text arguably addresses a different series of events, in doing so he successfully conveys feelings and attitudes similar to those experienced by people living in the 1930\u2019s. He incorporates a point of view written through the lens of working-class individual sharing their sentiments towards the government\u2019s role in war and violence. In doing so, he addresses their feelings of frustration towards the government and their desire for peace in place of continuing conflict. Conversely, Auden\u2019s work, written during the 1930\u2019s, portrays the perspective of someone actively processing the unpredictable nature of the times, and, more specifically, calls attention to the overwhelming sense of fear that his narrator has to cope with. Both works, while written at different times, demonstrate an understanding of individual people, haunted by a gruesome previous war and fearful of another one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In \u201cO What Is That Sound,\u201d Auden focuses on the mental strife that plagues the narrarator throughout the poem. He uses repetition in each stanza to convey the worry and confusion that the speaker experiences as he tries to understand what is happening around him. In line 2 of the first stanza, the narrator says \u201cO what is the sound which so thrills the ear\/Down in the valley drumming, drumming?\u201d The repetition creates the effect that the narrator is stumbling over his words, and having trouble processing what is going on. It also hints at fear and sadness as it mimics the human propensity to stutter. Additionally, there is an aspect of the poem that appears to be made intentionally unclear: it is difficult to distinguish whether or not there are actually two people speaking. This ambiguity creates a space for various interpretations of the poem. There are no punctuation marks indicating that the dialogue is occurring between two different people. It is arguable that the second voice is a representation of the narrator speaking to himself, and losing his mind as a result of the fear and anxiety he experiences as he anticipates the looming horrors of war. The speaker goes back and forth between worrying and attempting to reassure himself, until he eventually allows the fear to overcome him. This happens at the end of the poem when the speaker says: \u201cO it\u2019s broken the lock and splintered the door,\/O it\u2019s the gate where they\u2019re turning, turning;\/Their boots are havy on the floor\/And their eyes are burning\u201d The force that has \u201cbroken the lock\u201d and \u201csplintered the door\u201d serves as a metaphor for the anxiety taking full control of the narrarator\u2019s mind. At this point in the poem, he is no longer able to reassure himself or explain what is happening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, the second voice in the poem could serve as a voice of reason that attempts to reassure the speaker that nothing is wrong. The second speaker appears to know something that the first does not, and this is proven to be true at the end of the poem when the second speaker reveals that they are leaving. The first two lines in each stanza describe the speaker\u2019s interpretation of what is happening and the second set aims to describe what is actually happening. This pattern occurs in different variations within each stanza, with the exception of the final stanza when the second speaker leaves. This highlights a duality of what the first speaker understands to be happening versus the perceived reality that the second speaker creates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Bragg\u2019s song \u201cBetween the Wars,\u201d he opens the text by detailing the perspectives of people working different jobs during the between wars period. He details their lives, families, and work environments and, in doing so, gives a voice to the working class people of the time. Although Bragg wrote this song roughly 55 years after Auden published his poem, his lyrics still speak to the sentiments of the 30\u2019s. He references the government consistently throughout the song and especially when he says: \u201cI looked to the government to help the working man\/And they brought prosperity down at the armoury.\u201d Here, he criticizes the government for its constant efforts to be prepared for violent battle, even when the nation is in a state of \u201cpeace.\u201d This is also made clear in line 12 when he says \u201cWe\u2019re arming for peace me boys.\u201d Here it is arguable that he is criticizing propaganda efforts from the British government that might use the word \u201cpeace\u201d to shield an ulterior motive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Bragg is playing with the paradoxical concept that there is peace between wars; however, this supposed peace is tainted by the government\u2019s involvement in manufacturing weaponry and drafting men as soldiers. Throughout the song, Bragg creates a dialogue between the government and the working people, outlining what the individual wants versus what the government imposes on him. I argue that he also challenges the government to look within itself and make internal changes before it enters another war with an outside force. He speaks from the point of view of the working class man who is expected to fight in such a war when he says: \u201cCall up the craftsmen\/Bring me the draftsmen\/Build me a path from the cradle to the grave\/And I\u2019ll give my consent\/To any government\/That does not deny a man a living wage.\u201d In these lines, he implies that he will give his life to battle when the government provides more for the working class individual. He condemns a government that demands such extreme devotion from an individual who does not even earn a livable wage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Auden\u2019s and Bragg\u2019s texts take a varied approach to highlighting the experiences of the individual during the unsettling era that was the 1930\u2019s. Auden\u2019s poem provides a detailed account of the overwhelming unpredictability of the pre-WWII era. He demonstrates these feelings through the perspective of an individual and his reaction to the uncertainty of the time. Auden\u2019s character is present in this moment, actively experiencing the stress and anxiety of an impending war. Bragg\u2019s point of view is unique in contrast to Auden\u2019s, because it is one that can be understood only in memory. He can write a song titled \u201cBetween the Wars\u201d because he is alive during a period in which we are aware that two wars have indeed happened. For this reason, \u201cBetween the Wars\u201d serves as a piece written in memory, giving a voice to the working class who were deemed largely voiceless. Each text depicts a different, but valuable perspective on a moment in history filled with fear, doubt, and frustration. Collectively, they give a voice to the people of the time, and they work to preserve this moment in history that is often overlooked in the context of the two wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n