The Horses

            
             The poem " The Horses " by Edwin Muir opens with the devastation of a nuclear war. The poem was written at a time when people were worried about the development of nuclear weapons and technology. The poem describes the shock and horror which follows the war and how scared people were when they heard the horses coming and how they had actually come to help them. In the poem, the writer makes you think about the ways in which technology has had an impact on our lives and there is a clear sense that it has had a detrimental effect on our lives and is to blame for most of the world's evil.
             The poem is about a nuclear war which has lasted for seven days and has 'put the world to sleep'. It also tells us that technology has taken over our lives. An example of this is .
             " They'll moulder away and be like other loam ".
             The author is telling us that the tractors will just waste away as they are not used and the speech shows the speakers disregard for technology. The poem goes on telling us about when they heard the distant tapping of the horses an example of this.
             " we heard a distant tapping on the road ".
             The author is using onomatopoeia to recreate sound. The poem also tells us about the strength of the horses an example of this is.
             " Like a wild wave charging and were afraid ".
             The author is using alliteration to stress the power and energy of the horses. The writer also tells us about the men's fear of the horses an example of this .
             " we did not dare go near them ".
             The author is showing us the men's fear as they have strayed from nature due to technology.
             In the first few verses of the poem the writer uses a variety of interesting word choices. In the first verse the word 'twelvemonth' is an example of archaic language the author uses this as a link of return to the past. All the way through the poem the author uses euphemism to make the events of the war seem less unpleasant. An example of this is 'Put the world to sleep' the author is telling us that after the war the world seemed quiet and afraid because so many had died.