Redgum's - I was only 19 by Joseph Borg

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:35:10 UTC

In the song, what does the line "And Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon" symbolise in the context of the Vietnam War?

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:35:34 UTC

What can we infer about the impact of the war on soldiers' mental health from the lyrics, "And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?"

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:47:50 UTC

How does the line "And can you tell me, is it really a sin to be alive?" reflect the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by soldiers during the Vietnam War?

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:48:13 UTC

What does the song's reference to "The Anzac legends didn't mention mud and blood and tears" suggest about the portrayal of war in historical narratives?

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:49:02 UTC

How does the song use the term "agent orange sunset" to symbolise the aftermath chemical warfare?

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:50:15 UTC

What is the significance of the line "And I can still see Frankie, drinking tinnies in the Grand Hotel" in relation to the impact of war on soldiers' lives?

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:50:57 UTC

In the context of the song, what does the phrase "I was only 19" symbolise in terms of the youth and innocence lost by soldiers who served in Vietnam?

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:56:44 UTC

How does literature provide insights into the changing perspectives and reality of war?

In your answer, refer to TWO different sources to justify your response.

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 05:59:21 UTC

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 06:08:01 UTC

Romanticised
Reality
Aftermath

2023-11-02 06:15:35 UTC

The propaganda was made in the romanticised period of war poetry, where they did not think about the later dreadful darkness and consequences of war. In the propaganda, they are promoting recruitment into the military to fight for Australia. The bright and various colours adds positivity, happiness, and beauty to the life of warfare, hiding the darkness in it. The proud soldier being the salience looks strong with immediately provides a sense of strength and pride. The vectors then draw the focus to the men in the background holding various weapons (tools), demonstrating the ability to fight no matter your capabilities. The words in the message are short but literal, and they encourage the men to enlist in the military.

joseph_borg001 — 2023-11-02 06:17:42 UTC

2023-11-02 06:25:12 UTC

The song 'I was only 19' by Redgum reflects on a story of an ANZAC soldier who was sent to the Vietnam War to fight. Although the song did not directly narrate the events of the story, it did describe the experience of a young cadet at the war. The lyrics 'I was only 19' already places sympathy on the audience/listener, which briefly emphasises on the fear they would have felt.

2023-11-02 06:33:07 UTC

In the line "And Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon" symbolises the beginning of change. The US astronaut stepped foot onto the moon, holding a new record in history. On the same day, Frankie (a soldier) kicked (tripped on) a mine, which exploded and killed him. Comparing to the beginning of the song where the song states the privilege of going to war, this event begins to bring change and the reality of war to life, which builds the identity and view of the Vietnam War. This will open up the secrets and horror of the Vietnam War when battles were in action.

2023-11-09 06:01:47 UTC

In the lyrics of 'I was only 19' by Redgum, "And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can't get to sleep?" first identifies a setting/time frame of after the war. Realistically, soldiers on the war fields would not worry about their sleep, because to not get killed is their main concern and focus. Explaining the lyrics, the songwriter has stated that he cannot sleep, and since it is after the war, this indicates that he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). People may think that once the war is over, everything will be fine. But all the horrifying and memorable events occurring during wars will be easily remembered and will alter your mental health, and how you see the world probably for the rest of your life.

2023-11-09 06:06:27 UTC

This is possibly an example of romanticised propaganda, because in the past when recruitment was occurring, the 'Anzac legends' would never mention mud and blood and tears to try and get more recruits. Like who would want to go to war when it is basically selling your own life?

2023-11-09 06:12:47 UTC

Since he can still see Frankie, despite no longer alive, reflects on the loved ones that have lost their lives at war. The emotion of missing someone is present in the lyrics, and secretly portrays the horrifying experience and impacts of losing someone who has a role in your life.

carinaphuong — 2023-11-09 07:00:16 UTC

The line stating 'And can you tell me, is it really a sin to be alive?" shows a reflection of the morals and ethical dilemmas faced by soldiers of the Vietnam War through the metaphorical symbolism of the regret and trauma they are forced to live with. As we can gather, the soldiers of the Vietnam War were definitely forced to watch others, their loved ones and friends die before their eyes. After this, they are forced to live the rest of their lives carrying the burden of feeling like they should have been the ones to save them but failed to. The line stating how being alive is supposedly a sin reflects the punishments of regret and the burden they feel after having gone through that. It seems as though these individuals are forced to live with such horror to the extent that being physically alive is tiring and draining, making it out to be a sin and that they 'should not be alive' due to their wrongdoings.

carinaphuong — 2023-11-09 07:02:23 UTC

As we know, the term 'Agent Orange Sunset' refers to the horror-filled strategy of sabotaging the opposing team during the Vietnam War. The song utilises the exact terms of the sunset to symbolise the true, genuine horror of such diabolical actions. By referring to agent orange sunset in such a serious manner, they are once again restating the underestimated negative impact and cruelness of such a tactic.

carinaphuong — 2023-11-09 07:05:11 UTC

The term 'I was only 19' is a powerful representation of how the soldiers were too young to deal with what they had to deal with. At such young ages, these individuals still halfway through their youth, were forced to experience such shock and horrible events, which everyone can agree, nobody ever deserves to go through that. The phrase 'I was only 19' is an estimate of age, 19, to show truly how young the individuals were when they faced the war and aftermath of the war. Additionally, the use of the word 'only' demonstrates just how horrifying it is to tolerate such events at such a young age, and 19 is unbelievably young.

Driving Question - ANSWER

carinaphuong — 2023-11-09 07:12:50 UTC

Through the use of various forms of literature and features of text, audiences are able to gain insights into the changing perspectives and reality of wars through a range of features and techniques. Within the stages/versions of war, there are believed to be 3 different so-called 'editions' of war. Romanticised, reality and aftermath. Romanticised; a romanticised war essentially refers to an idea of an ideal, fun-filled and desired war. It is made out to be this stereotyped fantastic series of a journey to have fun and make friends. Reality; the reality of a war is exactly what it is, the reality. It outlines events exactly as how wars are realistically struck - blood, trauma, fear. Aftermath; the aftermath of war is the effect and trace of horror it leaves on individuals AFTER the war has terminated. It displays the true effect of the war on various dimensions of human health and what it does to one. Out of such perspectives and labels associated with wars, audiences do have not a clue as to what wars are genuinely like. However, different forms of literature such as the song 'I was only 19' or perhaps the cover 'Enlist int he sportsmen's thousand' outline completely different yet intriguing views of the war. One describes positively, while the other does the complete opposite. Thus, with the help of literature, audiences are able to gain different perspectives and insights/information as to what the reality of wars truly is.