Task

Now try your analytical skills on another view of Napoleon. Do you remember what happened in the Russian campaign? Napoleon marched hundreds of thousands of men into Russia; the Russians burned their own capital to keep Napoleon from securing a victory there; and Napoleon then retreated after the brutal Russian winter had already begun. On his way out, he lost thousands of men to starvation and exposure while he rode in his carriage, sometimes over their dead bodies.

Through the efforts of the Russian army, especially at Borodino, Napoleon was soundly defeated. The following poem shows quite a different view of Napoleon. Read this anonymous poem "A Droll Ballad" about Napoleon's campaign for Russia that appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine in England in March of 1815. This poem, entitled "A Droll Ballad," is an interesting take by an Englishman on Napoleon's Russian campaign.

Once you have read the poem do the following:

  • Complete 5.04 Napoleon in Literature with SOAPS analysis of A Droll Ballad
  • List at least two (2) examples that show how the two poems ("A Droll Ballad" and "Incident of the French Camp") differ in their view of Napoleon
  • List at least two (2) examples that show how the two poems are similar in their view of Napoleon.
  • Submit your work to the 5.04 Napoleon in Literature Dropbox.

 

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