Despite the atrocities of war in All Quiet on the Western Front, author Erich Maria Remarque evokes breathtaking beauty through imagery. Specifically on page 9 he writes, "The grasses sway their tall spears; the white butterflies flutter around and float on the soft, warm, wind of the late summer." There is an inevitable difference between the warfare and the late summer. Remarque crafted his words to paint a picture in the readers mind and to make them feel as though they were no longer reading a war story. The dancing butterflies reveal purity and life amidst the hardships the men face each and every day. A serene moment such as he described causes the thoughts of warfare to fade. Again on page 9 the author states, “These are wonderfully care-free hours. Over us is the blue sky. On the horizon float the bright yellow, sunlit observations-balloons, and the many little white clouds of the anti-aircraft shells.” Lingering in the distance are the reminders of war, although beauty is more that evident. Remarque displays pure bliss and beauty through his crafting of words.
No comments:
Post a Comment