Secondary 1 - Poetry

War is Never Over

by Cecil Harrison

Background

Cecil Harrison was a US Marine who fought in the bloodiest and last battle of World War
2 against Japan. From April 1st to June 12th, 1945 over 20,000 Japanese and over 12,000
US soldiers were killed. Very few men of Harrison’s military unit survived. Most of the world
didn’t even know a battle was going on as they were busy celebrating victory in Europe.
Harrison dedicates his poetry to the heroism of his fellow soldiers. His poems have been
published in National Library of Poetry and other national and local publications.

War is never over

Though the treaties may be signed
The memories of the battles
Are forever in our minds

War is never over

So when you welcome heroes home
Remember in their minds they hold
Memories known to them alone

War is never over

Nam veterans know this well
Now other wars bring memories back
Of their own eternal hell

War is never over

For I knew world war two
And I’ll not forget the battles
Or the nightmares that ensue

War is never over

Those left home to wait know this
For many still are waiting
It was their farewell kiss

War is never over

Though we win the victory
Still in our mind the battles
No, freedom is not free!
Miss Gihan Serry
Secondary 1 - Poetry

Part One
Vocabulary:
treaties: written agreements between two or more countries

Paraphrase
The poet says that although as have finished and agreements between countries signed,
people remember. For so many people, the war is never over - they keep seeing it in their
minds. Then, after the soldiers return home, we should remember that they have seen
terrible things known to them alone.

Literary Terms:

Alliteration-
Stanza 1 Line 2 ‘Though the treaties may be signed’
* The consonant sounds ‘t’ is repeated in ‘though’, ‘the’ and ‘treaties’.

Personifacation-
Stanza 2 Lines 3&4 ‘Remember in their minds they hold
Memories known to them alone’
* ‘minds’ have been given a human ability to hold.

Consonance -
Stanza 2 Line 4 ‘Memories known to them alone’

* The consonant sounds is repeated at the end of ‘known’ and ‘alone.’

Rhyme scheme: a b c d a e f g

Part Two
Vocabulary:
Nam: Vietnam
veterans: old soldiers; name for soldiers after they leave the army
eternal: for ever; all the time
nightmares: very bad dreams; frightening dreams
ensure: to happen as a result of something else

Paraphrase
Wars are never over for the people that fight them. The soldiers of the Vietnam War
understand what it means to say ‘the war stays in their mind’. And now, when theres
soldiers hear about different or new wars, they remember their own unpleasant
experiences. The war they fought is like being in hell forever. The war never ends for the
soldiers of World War 2, either. The poet says that he was a soldier in this war. He
remember the terrible battles he fought and the bad dreams he has as a result.

Miss Gihan Serry

Secondary 1 - Poetry

Literary Terms:

Personifacation-
Stanza 3 Line 4 ‘Of their own eternal hell’
* The poet compares war to hell.

Rhyme scheme: a h i h a j c j

Part Three
Vocabulary:
farewell: goodbye
victory: the act of winning

Paraphrase
War is also never over for the families and friends of the soldiers. Many soldiers were
killed. The families didn’t know that there would never be another hug or kiss. To these
families the war is not over because they are still waiting for their beloved soldiers to come
home.
Wars are never really finished. Although the soldiers won the battles they fought,
memories will always be victorious. Winning the war has brought us freedom, but at a
huge cost. The cost of freedom is the terrible memories of war that we will always bear in
our minds.

Literary Terms:

Irony-
Stanza 6 Line 4 ‘No, freedom is not free!”
* Freedom is supposed to be free, but the poet believes that a certain price has to be paid
to obtain freedom.

Rhyme scheme: a k l k a m c m

Miss Gihan Serry