Commander Dwight D. Weldon Johnson's 'Sonnet'

Amidst World War II, Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a speech delivered to 175,000 soldiers called, “Order of the Day.” In this speech, Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower encouraged his soldiers to defeat the Nazis, though at this time they were very powerful. In the poem, “Sonnet” by James Weldon Johnson, who had a vital role in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Johnson uses his poem to convey a strong feeling of courage and perseverance through the face of despair. Both Johnson and Eisenhower used juxtaposition to convey courage and to overcome adversity.

In Eisenhower’s speech, he stated, “I have full confidence in your courage, devotion, and duty and skill in battle.” This quote contrasts the difficulty