A War Hero
#2
(07-30-2013, 03:29 AM)jdguyb Wrote:  His hands have tasted death, Right off the bat, I like this image of hands tasting, but I think the somewhat cliched simile in the next line weakens it.
like a cool winter's chill.
His lungs have tasted a new breath,
for he now has a killer's will. Rework to omit "for he now." It reads a bit clunky.

Does killing change a man?
He knows inside it does,
for he belongs to a new clan, Again with the "for he."
a clan with a killer buzz. What do you mean by a "killer buzz"?

His return home is praised,
but inside he feels unjustified. Avoid using telling phrases like "he feels." Let the readers arrive at that themselves.
The war has made him crazed,
but unfortunetly he cant resist being modified. This line is way too long and reads awkwardly. Try omitting "unfortunately." All these concepts of being unjustified, crazed and modified are never really illustrated, and listing all of them at once takes emphasis away from each individual thing.

Soon his life will consist of pleasures.
Golf, tennis and whatever else. Instead of "whatever else," give another example of a pleasure.
All of life's treasures,
are wrapped around his belt. "Else" and "belt" are only near rhymes, which is inconsistent with the rest of the rhyming scheme.

But he can never forget,
the look in the eyes he felt. This line is hard to decipher and seems vague.
As he killed it is correct, Same with this line.
what all his enemies were dealt.

So live on war hero,
in your life of regret.
Draw your bow and arrow, Did you use "bow and arrow" just to make it rhyme? It was an unexpected image.
and live a life of neglect. What are you referring to with the word "neglect?"
This is an interesting poem with a lot of potential, but the rhyme scheme feels limiting. It works at first, but the rhymes gradually seem more forced. Try focusing less on form and more on the message you are trying to convey. I'm not saying you should rewrite this as a free verse poem, but play around with it until you find the form that works with the content. Give each stanza a clear purpose and flesh out the details. For example, you say the narrator feels like he is being modified, but why does he feel this way? What are some specific details and examples to back this up?

Good luck with future drafts!
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Messages In This Thread
A War Hero - by jdguyb - 07-30-2013, 03:29 AM
RE: A War Hero - by Darkblue - 07-30-2013, 06:29 AM
RE: A War Hero - by billy - 07-30-2013, 11:22 AM
RE: A War Hero - by TheWall0912 - 07-30-2013, 08:48 PM
RE: A War Hero - by 250xflo - 08-02-2013, 11:03 AM



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