Universal Soldier

Universal Soldier

In the poem, Universal Soldier, the poet, Buffy Sainte-Marie, says many different but interesting things about soldiers.  The poet shows that even though soldiers are different and unique, the majority of soldiers feel the same way about war.

The first stanza is saying that no matter what size, age, weapons used, beliefs, or what time period they came from, soldiers all feel sorry when they kill another soldier.  Soldiers know it is wrong, however, the only reason they do it is for their family and friends.  They want to protect the ones that they love.    

Soldiers are fighting for peace, no more war. That is what the second stanza is saying.  Many different countries are at war like Canada, France, USA, Russia, and Japan, and all that the soldiers want is peace.  I wonder if people realize that there is no peace in fighting.  Peace is when every one is happy and in agreement, not fighting.  I have never heard about anything good coming from war aside from seeing your loved one come back home safely.

The third stanza is saying that each soldier is fighting for something different.  Though, I understand that some soldiers have no choice whether or not they want to fight.  In this stanza the poet says "And he never sees the writing on the wall." This means that the people who start war do not see that it does not solve anything.  All it does is demolish countries and kill innocent people.  The war only stops when a country surrenders and after the war is over, does the country that wants a democracy then have a democracy?

In the fourth and fifth stanza, the poet is saying that the only reason war happens is because of the soldiers who fight.  If the soldiers were not around who would fight.  Maybe the leaders of the different countries will fight one another.  However, if one country has an army you have to have one too because if a country attacks yours you have to be prepared.

The sixth stanza is saying that having war does not put an end to war.  It does not matter what angle you look at it, it just does not add up.  To me it is like trying to stop fighting with fighting.  Two wrongs don't make a right.  It is not logical and does not make sense.

Both of my grandfathers had to join the army for their countries.  They did not go to war but they had to train.  They had to train hard, every single day no ifs, ands, or buts.  The stories they tell my siblings and I seem scary and to have to be forced to go to the army is unfair.  I can not even think what would go through my head if I had to go war, or what my parents would feel like if I did.  I can just imagine what war is like and I hope that people realize that war is not solving problems but just causing them.  Plus, I am extremely grateful that neither one of my grandfathers had to go.

-Ashley