2. What makes Rouen significant?
During the First World War the
British used Rouen as a supply
base and there were many
military hospitals.
Cannan worked as a VAD
(voluntary Aid Detachment)
which makes the poem more
significant because the events
she writes comes from her own
personal experience.
3. Content
• My understanding of Rouen is Cannan reflecting about the time she spent in
Rouen helping the injured soldiers.
“ Can I Forget” the repetition of the rhetorical stanzas makes it known that the events
were traumatic and she will never forget what she saw.
• “My heart goes out” it is evident that Cannan feels very sympathetic and wants to
tell “Rouens” story. What that part of France has witnessed.
• This poem is told through a VAD not through a soldier about experiences of war
which gives another perspective on the realities of war.
4. Language
• Cannan uses emotive language, “train full of wounded” which is ironic
because the general mood of the poem is positive, which could represent her
hopefullness for all the soldiers, “passing, cheering, waving” the list also
emphasises the time change as the soldiers pass through-cheer because they
have recovered-and are waving “Good-bye” to return to the front. Which
Cannon does have a striking line which is my favourite
• “CAME FROM DARKNESS AND WENT BACK TO DARK AGAIN” this quote is my
favourite because Cannan is saying they came from the war/being injured
which is dark yet once they heal they have to return. This also corresponds
with the repetition of the poem as a whole as the poem moves like the times
during the day. Cannon starts with the morning and ends with the “ending of
the day”.
• The Juxtaposition of some of the language such as “weariness and laughter”
conveys the difference between the different soldiers.
• She uses the sense of sound, “voices of the sergeants” the use of the senses
makes the poem more personal and engages the reader more because it
becomes more life like rather than a piece of writing.
• The heavy words, “agony and splendour” contrast with the positive, “glory” .
5. Structure
• 13 stanzas
• Repetition of “can you/I” which is ambiguous because one could interpret
it as her reflecting on her past and clamming that she will never forget
what she witnesses. Although it can also be her telling her story and the
“can you/I” could be empathising the fact they didn’t witness what she did
and this is an example for a theme of realities of war.
• The structure of Rouen is very impressive and moves through the time of
day.
• This really portrays Cannan’s experience because as readers we are getting
a real insight into the days she had. “can you recall..” and how
spontaneous and un expected her days were. “early morning…hopeful and
high” then “sudden awful silence” interpreting that the soldier dies. This
really shows the difference between the change in mood which is
represented through tone.
6. Imagery
• The change of the time of day early morning “sun” implies bright “hopeful” and
positive however the evening is “dark” and winding down to sleep which could be
symbolic for death.
• The “Red Cross” is repeated twice which does symbolise help and medical care but
the cross could also stand for faith which is from the positive words Cannan uses,
“glory, hopeful, cheering” could stand for her faith within the soldiers or the cross
could also stand for death.
• The repetition of the colour “white” could convey peace.
• Use of nature and the environment, “glare of the cloudless skies”, there was
nothing there. This emphasises how real the events were and how casual and
expected they became, “and all the trains that go from Rouen at the ending of the
day”.
• “my heart goes out to Rouen (as though it was such a beautiful place which has
dies), Rouen all the world away;” this line is very emotive as though Cannan is
saying her final good bye like the place is never going to be the same, not after all
its witnessed which could be symbolic for her as neither will she.
