Question

You have been asked to speak on the plight of survivors in war. In the light of the above poem and your own perception, write your speech in about 100-120 words.

Use the following hints:

• the contradictory attitudes to war
• the effects of war
• the tragedy of war
• loss of lives
• disillusionment
• destruction
• death of the you

Answer 1

Good morning everyone. War is often praised as courage and patriotism, yet its reality is grief, fear and irreversible loss. Soldiers may leave “grim and glad,” but return physically wounded or psychologically shattered, haunted by comrades who died. Survivors may struggle to speak, sleep, trust or feel like their former selves. Families lose loved ones; homes and communities are destroyed. Such suffering exposes the tragedy and disillusionment behind patriotic slogans. War may sometimes stop aggression, but victory cannot restore the dead or erase trauma. We must remember that every enemy is human and pursue negotiation wherever possible. Let us honour survivors not by glorifying war, but by supporting their recovery and choosing peace.