NOTES LITERATURE GUIDES WRITING SKILLS MORE

Cloud Technology Companies

Hyland Software, Inc. Open

“After Blenheim,” also known as “The Battle of Blenheim,” is an anti-war poem

written by Robert Southey, who was named poet laureate of England for his
contributions to poetry. It was written in the style of a ballad. The poem’s subject
matter is the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714) when Charles II died without
an heir after his death in 1700. Phillip V, King Louis XIV’s grandson, rose to the
throne in a contentious manner, sparking a war between Austria and France;
according to the former, the latter seized power through unfair methods. The
entire continent had been drawn into the war, and the Austrian side, led by
England, beat the France-led side in the Bavarian town of Blenheim in Germany,
bringing the conflict to a close. Southey’s poem refers to England’s Duke of Search
Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy as the two greatest heroes in the battle.

Ad Cloud Technology Companies Translate

OPEN Select Language

Powered by Translate
The poet progressively portrays the setting of a former war through a discourse
between an old farmer, Kaspar, and his grandchildren, Wilhelmine and Peterkin.
Latest Questions
One of the children has discovered something ‘large and round,’ which his
grandfather reveals is a skull, one of many recovered nearby.
Why is William Wordsworth
known as poet of nature?
Throughout the poem, similar occurrences are used to reinforce the major ideas – What is digital worker?
the tragic end of the war and the vulnerability of human life. The poem After
which union territory presented
Blenheim helps us consider the purpose and outcome of a war, even questioning
its tableau for the first time ever
its legitimacy. The war left widespread devastation and thousands of casualties.
at the 2021 republic day
However, Old Kaspar appears indifferent about this, claiming that ‘it was a famous
parade?
win’ and that ‘things like that must be’. His grisly depictions, followed by his
synonym of the words –
nonchalant remarks, create an ironic impact. Oddly, a major battle was fought yet
acknowledge
no one understands why.
What is freedom as per Tagore?
:
 What is freedom as per Tagore?
The Refugee
Too Dear
english

Popular Questions

Write the poet’s feelings when

he sees a host of golden
daffodils?
Search For The Best Online Payroll Whom do we call a Veterinary
Doctor?
Services for Small Companies
gulliver-in-lilliput-1-and-2
Yahoo Search
character sketch of moti guj and
deesa in the short story moti guj
Atlassian
–mutineer
Learn about trends in Enterprise Service Management and best practices for IT Open
teams
Tempest workbook answers by
Atlassian
Xavier Pinto .

Table of Contents [hide]

The Background To The Poem “After Blenheim”

After Blenheim Stanza-wise Summary
Analysis of the poem

The Background To The Poem “After Blenheim” Free Military Record Search
- Just Enter a Name to Start
In the poem, two children seek knowledge about a skull from their grandfather, MyHeritage
confirming the ballad form. What follows is the grandfather’s account of the
conflict, which resulted in widespread damage of homes, widespread civilian
casualties, and decaying bodies found everywhere, demonstrating the extent of
inhumanity that war can bring. Southey’s fundamental point is that the common
people suffer as much as anyone else in a war and are opposed to the unpleasant
and ugly reality that comes with it, even alone celebrating it as a noble act. The
grandfather’s repeated references to war as “a legendary victory” and “a
magnificent victory” are meaningless because he fails to explain what exactly $400* Off—Savings End Soon
Expertly crafted for long-lasting comfort—save
caused the war. Breaking out of a conflict has no value for the average person now on select mattresses.
because they have no awareness of the war or its devastating consequences; they
LEARN MORE
are only concerned with either the victory or the loss.

After Blenheim Stanza-wise Summary

Stanza 1– The first stanza begins with a picturesque description of a summer
evening. The poet introduces the main character of the poem; old Kasper had just
finished his work for the day and was sitting in the sun before his cottage door, Conjoined Twins Have
watching his granddaughter Wilhelmine play on the field. Sad News
Thedelite.com
:
 Stanza 2– While playing, Wilhelmine saw her brother Peterkin rolling something
“large, smooth and round” which he had found beside the stream. He was curious
to know what that thing was and thus turned to his grandfather for information.

Stanza 3– Old Kasper took the “large, and smooth, and round” thing from his
grandson’s hands and shook his head with a sigh as he figured that it was some
“poor fellow’s skull” who had died in the war. Ironically, he refers to the battle of
2425 & 2435 N Central
Blenheim as a “great victory” at the cost of loss of human lives.
Expy TX
LoopNet
Stanza 4– Kasper goes on to mention that he had found many such skulls while
ploughing the land as thousands of soldiers were killed in the victorious war. The Unanswered Questions
dead bodies of these soldiers lie in the fields unnoticed. However, Kasper’s use of
the term “great victory” expresses his pride at the sacrifice of the soldiers who What is freedom as per Tagore?

played a vital role in the war. Too Dear

english
Stanza 5– The children were excited to know more about the war. They were
english
curious to know about the purpose of the war. They had associated a sense of
The brook
thrill, adventure, and excitement with the idea of war and sacrifice. Little
Wilhelmine looked up to her grandfather in anticipation with “wonder-waiting
eyes”. In this stanza, the poet attempts to distinguish the kind of curiosity and
enthusiasm associated with a child.

Stanza 6– The battle of Blenheim was one of the major battles of the war of
Spanish succession in which the English successfully defeated the Franco
Bavarian army. Kasper takes pride in the “great victory” but he is unable to tell his
grandchildren the reason behind the war. He did not even try to find the purpose
behind it. He just chose to know what others told him regarding the war – that it
was a “famous victory”.

Stanza 7– In this stanza, we observe Kasper recollecting the memories of his past.
He tells the children that his father used to live at Blenheim. The French soldiers
burnt the homes of several innocent people among which was his father’s. This
destruction forced the people to leave the village and search for a safer place.
Kasper’s father, thus, fled with his wife and young Kasper in search for shelter but
he was unable to find a home because of the dreadful war. This rendered their
family homeless.

Stanza 8– Stanza eight highlights the horrific aspect of wars. The symbol of “fire”
and “sword” embodies the evil spirit of human cruelty and destruction. The image
of the death of pregnant mothers and newborn babies heightens the idea of the
ruination of human beings caused by none other than men themselves. The idea is
to express how thousands of innocent lives are taken in due course of a futile and
meaningless war that is sure to bring only damage and destruction. The irony in
the poem is made evident by Kasper as he says that these things are meant to
happen at every battle where there is a “great victory”.
Zero Trust Relies on
Stanza 9– The poet, through Kasper, goes on to describe the agony of war. He Identity
SailPoint Technologies
mentions the “shocking sight” of the battlefield that was full of dead bodies of the
:
 soldiers rotting in the sun. Through this image, the poet attempts to bring into
consideration the indignity in the way the soldiers lay. They are reduced to a mere
status of an inanimate object. There is no dignity, no glory in war; only misery. Even
after such a terrifying aspect of the war, Kasper regards it as a “famous victory”
which emphasizes the ignorance of the old man about the purpose and
consequence of war.

Stanza 10– Duke of Marlbro was an English General. He was the commander of
the British forces in the battle of Blenheim. Prince Eugene and Duke of Marlbro
represented Britain in the battle and defeated the French at Blenheim. Kasper
sang praises for the men who brought the “famous victory” to the nation. But Latest Questions
Wilhelmine, confused at the meaningless praises, exclaims that the war was a
Why is William Wordsworth
“wicked thing”. For the first time in the poem, we see disapproval of the false glory
known as poet of nature? asked
of war. But, not answering to his granddaughter he does take recourse to repeat
by smartenglishnotes, 1 week
the same thing again. The war is not a wicked thing for him as it comes with the
ago
grand success of a “famous victory”.
What is digital worker? asked by
smartenglishnotes, 3 weeks ago
Stanza 11- In stanza eleven which concludes the poem, Kesper is in full praise for
the Duke who has won the war for England, their motherland. With the innate which union territory presented
nature of a child, young Peterkin asks his grandfather what worth the war has for its tableau for the first time ever
the successive generations? Unable to satisfy the young mind’s query, all that he at the 2021 republic day
says is that it is a famous victory. It points to the poignant irony in the poem as parade? asked by
against the grain of loss and devastation; the only thing the old man reiterates is smartenglishnotes, 1 month ago
that the war has brought national pride to them. synonym of the words –
acknowledge asked by , 6
months ago
READ ALSO: One Art by Elizabeth Bishop - Summary, Analysis, Style and
What is freedom as per Tagore?
Solved Questions
asked by smartenglishnotes, 8
What's
months the
ago #1 Payroll
Service?
Yahoo Search
Leaderboard
report this ad

Conjoined Twins Have 1. smartenglishnotes 53

Sad News questions 181 answers
Thedelite.com

Popular Questions

Analysis of the poem Write the poet’s feelings when

he sees a host of golden
It is an anti-war poem by poet laureate Robert Southey written in the ballad form in daffodils? asked by , 1 year ago
1796. “After Blenheim” better known as “The Battle of Blenheim” where Blenheim Whom do we call a Veterinary
is the English equivalent of the German village Blindheim found on the left bank of Doctor? asked by , 1 year ago
river Danube in the state of Bavaria in southern Germany.
gulliver-in-lilliput-1-and-2 asked
by , 3 years ago
Southey offers different perspectives on war by actually recounting the aftermath
character sketch of moti guj and
:
 character sketch of moti guj and
of one of the famous battles of the 18th century, the war of Spanish Succession deesa in the short story moti guj
where the coalition of forces led by the English Army defeated the French and –mutineer asked by , 3 years
Bavarian forces at the battle of Blenheim. ago
Tempest workbook answers by
Southey maintains a safe distance from taking direct recourse to war but begins
Xavier Pinto . asked by , 1 year
with in the conversational ballad tone where a farmer is talking to his
ago
grandchildren. Gradually the attention of the reader is drawn towards the
battlefield. Peterkin has found ‘something Targe and round’ knows with the help of Ask a Question ?
his grandfather that it’s a human skull, reminding the tender boy and the reader Unanswered Questions
about the devastating aftermath of war.
What is freedom as per Tagore?
+
asked by smartenglishnotes, 8
Old Kasparov describes the horrible story of the battle and the resultant loss of
months ago
life. But ironically he never tries to explain what the root cause of the war is or why
Too Dear asked by , 9 months
such a war has broken out? The old man’s vivid description of war where corpses
ago
‘rotting in the sun’ and little Wilhelmine’s firm assertion that war is a ‘wicked thing’,
Southey’s spokesperson, the old man Kasparov repeatedly says that the battle is a english asked by , 9 months ago
We useis
‘famous victory. The reader cookies to ensure
repeatedly that we give
reminded youassertion
of the the best experience english asked
on our website.
of validating Accept by , 9 months ago

the importance of war. Of course, later in his career, Southey seems to repudiate The brook asked by , 9 months
the passive acceptance of war as the inevitable happening. ago

The poem speaks against the inhuman killing as a result of indulging in war.
Soldiers are the immediate causalities; innocent civilians are not spared either. The
result, out of this gruesome battle, is a misnomer. Many people even do not know
what a war actually means. They believe only in a tailor-made story to justify the
stubborn behaviour of their leaders. The poem attempts to point out the reality
involving a war, however, famous like the present one at Blenheim, is only about
the mindless killing of innocent people resulting in the loss of life and property.

It begins with old Kasper finishing a normal day’s chore, takes a rest out in the sun
in front of his cottage, watching his grandchildren at play. Peterkin, his grandson is
playing with a hard round object he found near the stream. He takes it to the old
man who explains ‘Tis some poor fellow’s skull,” which he often finds in fields while
ploughing . the children insist on their grandfather telling the story behind the
skull, particularly, the girl Wilhelmine waiting eagerly, “with wonder-waiting eyes,/
Now tell us all about the war/ And what they fought each other for”.

Kaspor explains the devastating story of the battle where the Duke of #1 Business Payroll
Malbourough routed the French, although he himself has no answer to the reason Services
for fighting a war. He goes on to explain that his father had a cottage near the Yahoo Search
rivulet “My father lived at Blenheim then”, the place his grandson Peterkin traced report this ad
the skull. The soldiers were on the rioting spree, burning the houses and killing
innocent civilians at will. His parents had to flee to save their lives along with their
child. The horrible account of the war records minutely how thousands of innocent
people, including pregnant women and children were killed in the war. But Kasper
never repents for the loss of life and property regarding the end result as a great
victory for England.

Thousands of rotting corpses are found around but Kaspar justifies these deaths
:
 in the name of national pride which seems rhetoric of war where countries do not
hesitate to spend lion’s share of their wealth for defence purposes ignoring the
poverty of the masses. When his granddaughter Wilhelmine points out that war is
a wicked thing, he contradicts her saying that it is a great victory. Whereas being a
child, Peterkin asks a pertinent question what is the use of war? He did not offer a
satisfactory answer, he only believes in others saying that it is a great victory.

It is through a conversation between Kasper and his grandchildren that the poem
starts. One of the children informs his grandfather that he has found something
‘large and round’ on the field, to which his grandfather remarks that it is a skull and
there are many more to be found. Some instances run throughout the poem to
support the main ideas of the tragic end of the war and the vulnerability of human
life. The poem “After Blenheim” makes us ponder over the purpose and result of
war and questions its validity.

War always comes paired with catastrophe and destruction. Kasper’s gruesome
descriptions of the war, which is followed by his casual utterances, form an effect
of irony. Ironically, it was a great war but no one knows why. In the meaningless
outbursts of the war heroes, the unawareness of the futility of war and the inability
to comprehend the scathing horror of the outcome is detected in the minds of the
common people.

The characters are introduced in the poem in the very beginning. We come across
an elderly farmer named Kaspar who is sitting in front of his cottage watching his
grandchildren Wilhelmine and Peterkin play on the lush green field on a summer
evening. When the children enquire about the cause of the war, Kaspar replies that
the significance of the war was in the victory that the English routed the French
that the later generations would call a great and famous victory. Kaspar also
informs them boastfully that there are several skulls to be found on the field that
belongs to the poor fellows who died while fighting in the war.

The ‘great victory’ refers to the victory in the battle, which also happens to be an
example of patriotism as well as ignorance. However, Kaspar is at a loss to explain
the cause of the battle. Kasper knew that the fields were filled with dead bodies of
the soldiers, he knew about the destruction of life and property, the death of the
newborn babies. However, according to him, such things are all a part of the war
and they do not negate the glory of the victory which is why when Wilhelmine says
that the battle must be a “wicked thing,” Kaspar tells her she is wrong. It was a
famous victory, he says.

In the following stanzas, we see the poet depicting the terror of war. After the
battle was over, thousands of dead bodies of soldiers lay rotting in the field in
indignity. There are sound effects in this stanza and they are generally helped by
the assonance of ‘shocking’ and ‘rotting’ and the sense of alliteration in the first
line. These together give greater resonance to the horrific image of death. The
scene of ‘rotting’ reduces dead men to carrion.
:
 “They say it was a shocking sight
After the field was won;
For many thousand bodies here
Lay rotting in the sun;”

READ ALSO: Snakes By Ramanujan Summary and Solved Questions

The poet has employed several poetic devices in the poem like alliteration,
repetition and irony. Throughout the poem Kaspar regards the war as a glorious
victory.

The readers come across Kaspar praising the Duke and the Prince for defeating
the French army and for bringing glory and pride to the nation, thus, creating more
confusion and dilemma in the children’s mind. The children are unable to grasp the
essence of the so-called glory in a war that their grandfather is singing praises
about. It is through the innocence of the children that the disapproval and
pointlessness of war is presented.

Kaspar seems to hide all the destruction and agony caused by the war by
repeating that it was a great victory. He seems to be afraid of breaking the
romantic notions of war that are influenced by the people around him who idealize
war without realizing the damage that comes with it. And these romantic ideals of
war are what he also wants to put in the minds of the grandchildren. War to him
was of a greater good, even though came at the cost of death and destruction.

We again come across the line “But ’twas a famous victory”. The war was fought
over a trivial dispute but it did cost the lives of thousands of soldiers. It was fought
near the village of Blenheim, in Bavaria, on the left bank of the river Danube, on
August 13, 1704. The English and Austrians, under the Duke of Marlborough and
Prince Eugene, defeated the French and Bavarians, under Marshall Tallard and
Marsin.

The only thing that is undeniable in a war is that the destruction of life and
property is sure to take place. Victory cannot bring back all the lives which were
lost during the war. That is why the poet questions the effectiveness and the need
of war. Thus, the poem ‘After Blenheim’ successfully depicts the poet’s message
that war is something which must be avoided, as all it brings is more destruction
and dissatisfaction in this cruel world.

READ ALSO: Porphyria’s Lover: Summary, Analysis and Questions

:
 Heroes Photographed

Saaaaale Today Only! 20% oA Every item! Email Nick!

Nick's Historical Heroes Open

# Class 9th and 10th Poem After Blenheim Summary and Analysis

Previous Post Themes of The Wild Swans at Coole by WB Yeats

Next Post Critical Appreciation and Theme of After Blenheim

Newsletter Updates

Enter your email address below to subscribe to our newsletter

Your email *

Subscribe
I accept the Privacy Policy

You May Also Like

Elements of Composition Summary and Solved Questions

Success is Counted Sweetest by Emily Dickinson – Summary,

Analysis and Themes

Dawn at Puri – Summary, Analysis, Style and Language and

Solved Questions

Summary and Solved Questions of “Out, Out –” by Robert Frost

:
 Summary and Analysis of Composed Upon Westminster
Bridge, September 3, 1802

A Sea of Foliage: Summary and Model Question Answers

Lochinvar by Walter Scott – Summary and Questions

If You Call Me by Sarojini Naidu – Summary and Analysis

At the Lahore Karhai – Summary & Analysis

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Summary, Analysis and

Solved Questions

To The Night | Summary, Explanation, Analysis and Questions

Holy Sonnet XIV by John Donne – Summary and Questions

Fate and Destiny by Mash’al Sultanpoori

The Flower by Alfred Lord Tennyson – Summary, Analysis and

Solved Questions

Snakes By Ramanujan Summary and Solved Questions

Grass Words by Gopal Honnalgere – Summary and Solved

Questions
:
 W. H. Auden: Poems Summary and Analysis of “September 1,
1939”

The Sunderbans by Susil Mandal – Summary, Analysis and

Questions Answers

Summary and Short Analysis of Felix Randal by Gerard Manley

Hopkins

London by William Blake – Analysis and Theme

Uncensored Sports Photos

(Mature Audiences Only)

Thedelite.com Learn More

ABOUT US SUBMIT ARTICLE PRIVACY POLICY DISCLAIMERS CONTACT US DMCA BLOGGING GUIDE

Ad
Zero Trust Relies on Identity
User roles change. Automate access through their lifecycle with identity security.
SailPoint Technologies

LEARN MORE

report this ad

Copyright © 2022 Smart English Notes

: