There is no virtue in slaughter nor is there any excellence in killings. Crane asserts how futile the brutal killing of war is because it does not improve one’s character through virtue or excellence. Furthermore, the speaker repeats the phrase “These men were born to drill and die” reveals how dying for their country is their purpose in life (Crane 8). The grim reality, though, is that death is war brings no glory or fame, only sadness and grief for the loved ones left behind. Through his use of irony and visual imagery, Crane shows how nothing good comes from war. It only accomplishes bringing destruction and woe. Because of the futility of war, its consequences are …show more content…
War is able to affect great destruction and havoc on humanity through the people it directly and indirectly affects. Crane amplifies the greatness of the battle god when he states, “Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom” (Crane 10). Amplification is the repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis and Crane wants to emphasize the greatness of the battle-god. “Great” can have a few different meanings including large, important, powerful, skilled, and enjoyable. These are the qualities of the battle-god Crane wanted to emphasize as he is the ruler of battle and war. His power over war gives the war itself great power, the power to take human life and destroy the ones left behind. Crane utilizes a metaphor to illustrate the kingdom of the battle-god as “A field where a thousand corpses lie” which, as aforementioned, is a refrain (Crane 11). A metaphor is when a word or phrase denoting one thing is used in place of another to compare them. The field Crane describes is the battle-god’s compared to his kingdom by using it in place of the kingdom. The battle-god is so powerful that, in his kingdom, he keeps a thousand humans have been stripped of their humanity and likeness over senselessness. This is a power greater than any human on earth will ever know or experience; it is a power only war