Lvl 5: The Soldier's Dream of Home

          Before mankind had cameras to document the true horror of the battlefield, normal everyday citizens were likely to romanticize the idea of what goes on the battlefield. Of course they've heard of the bloody massacres, how awful the conditions at camp were, from letters and word of mouth, but without being able to witness it with their own eyes, civilians just couldn't completely throw away the idea that war is honorable, and that it is almost a privilege to be able to go to war for your own country. Therefore when I first saw this image, my first impression through the vibrant colors on the soldier and his surroundings was that this is another romanticized image of war.
          The soldier appears to be sleeping or resting, and he is drawn in an "aesthetically pleasing" but not comfortable pose on the bottom left of the picture, his rifle placed nicely next to him with a drum and a letter, perhaps from home, and he's in front of a fire place thinking about his wife and two children. The tents in the background are and the two soldiers talking seem to imply that it is a peaceful and quiet night at camp. Additionally, the border of the image is wrapped in stars and stripes of the union, bringing a sense of pride and glory. Since I could not read the small print underneath, I did some searching and found that besides the title, the small text also includes a poem: "Stretched on the ground the war worn soldier sleeps, / Beside the lurid watch fires fitful glare; / And dreams that on the field of fame he reaps, / Renown and honors, which he hastes to share / With those beloved ones who gathering come, / To bid their hero husband father 'wellcome home,' / Fond dreamer may thy blissful vision be, / A true fore shadowing of the fates to thee."All of these details are common in many depictions of war, which contribute to many civilians' ideas that war isn't that bad.
          The image was published by Currier and Ives during the American Civil War, and it is a hand colored lithograph. who marketed these imaged to comfort those back home that the soldiers were well and would be coming back home soon. The images also assured them that even in times of war, they were in the thoughts of the soldiers. It was also created an a way to cope, as in order to mentally survive the horrors of the battlefield during and after the actual war, humans tend to try and forget the negative parts and look only at the positive things. However the images contrast with reality where soldiers can't sleep and their uniforms are usually tattered and torn from war.
          Overall even though this picture does have a lot of elements that romanticize and glorify war, it doesn't have an entirely negative effect. It also serves as a coping mechanism and hopes for reunion and a better future, It also does show how much the soldiers miss their families during times of war, and it was a serious issue that led many soldiers to suicide.

Works Cited
Currier and Ives, Gale Research. Detroit, MI, Library of Congress.Web. Jan 10 2016 <http://www.loc
.gov/pictures/item/91787341/>
American Social History Project. "The Soldier's Dream of Home." Web. Jan 10 2016 <http://civilwar
.picturinghistory.gc.cuny.edu/presentations-about-visual-media/prints/the_soldiers_dream_of_home
/i/37/>