In this essay I will analyze the style and techniques used in the two poems. I will do this by comparing the two poems and including samples from the texts that will help illustrate the points I make. The two poems I will analyze are 'The Drummer Hodge' by Thomas Hardy and 'Remains' by Simon Armitage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The poem "Drummer Hodge" was published by Thomas Hardy in 1899, after the conclusion of the First Boer War and shortly before the start of the Second Boer War. Over 20,000 British soldiers were killed during the Second Boer War, with over 900 missing and never found again, and it is for these soldiers that "Drummer Hodge" is most evocative. Simon Armitage's "Remains" was released in 2008 as part of his collection, The Not Dead. A series of war poems based on the testimonies of former soldiers. Unlike "Drummer Hodge", there is no rhyme scheme for this poem, and this helps with the flow and theme of the poem. The fragmentation of sentences allows the reader to feel like they are part of the conversation in the poem. This use of technology helps engage the reader, making them feel part of what is happening. “Drummer Hodge” is divided into three stanzas and has the rhyming scheme of ABAB running throughout the poem. Helps illustrate the theme of war drums. The line structure and syllable count help create a rhythm in the poem that reiterates the idea of ​​a drum. The first and third stanzas are in the present tense while the second stanza is in the past tense, this use of switching between tenses helps convey the speaker's natural tone and how the poem is a story of what happens in the young drummers used to carry messages and ammunition to the front line during the Second Boer War. The title of this poem is "The Drummer Hodge". The word Hodge is a familiar abbreviation of the name Roger. The name Roger is used as a typical name for an "English farm labourer". It was also considered a slang word for a country boy. Since Hardy uses this name which suggests an ordinary labourer, Hodge is representative of the victims of the Second Boer War. This is followed by an analysis of the tone and language used throughout the poem. The tone used in the poem is quite hostile. This may suggest a hostile feeling towards the Boer War and the use of drummers. There is also a sense of resentment that Hodge is being buried in South Africa, a "strange" and "foreign" place, a place that is not his home. There is a lot of imagery used in this poem with each stanza starting with an earthly image and ending with stars like a funeral, with the idea of ​​the strangeness of the earth and stars repeatedly underlined. 'Strange stars amidst the darkness', the 'strange stars' are perhaps a reference to the strangeness of the country in which the young drummer is buried, with 'gloam' being an archaic word for twilight, used to describe the scenery below the stars. Where Hodge becomes one with the land in which he is buried. Using the stars helps cultivate the feeling of expansion that is easy to get lost in. This is used to indicate how Hodge's death is overshadowed by the importance of the war. If the war had not broken out, the young drummer would have lived and died in his homeland, in British soil where he belongs, rather than in foreign lands and being the "salt of the earth". The poem "Remains" is divided into eight stanzas with the first seven in unrhymed form, with the final stanza consisting of two lines. Since this verse is smaller than the others, it helps it stand out and helps drive home the point that the soldier cannot forget the actions he took in killing the man who could have.