A seamless blend of effective techniques and provocative ideas add to my appreciation of "The Horses", a subtly optimistic post-war poem by Eduin Muir. While the powerful themes often seem to be the focal point of the piece, they are substantially supported by literary techniques that add greatly to the poems calibre.

One of the main themes present throughout the poem is the changing emotions of the survivors of the "seven days" war. The depth of sentiment adds a believably realistic element to the piece and helps me to empathise with the narrator. However, the techniques used to support this idea certainly add to my overall appreciation of the piece. Anger is suggested after a vacant horror has passed, and then reinforced strongly with repetition.

"We would not listen, we would not...We would not have it again."

The negative "we would" is used emphatically several times and...