Writers use imperative language when writing about the war and also describe soldiers as fearless, brave and strong characters. However, back in 1914 when the first world war was starting, no body knew in Britain what the soldiers were going to be like because people from all across the country, whether they be a local shop keeper or a banker in the city, were being recruited to go into the army and fight for the country that they lived in.
When poems are being written about the war, the writers use lots of strong vocabulary to get the point across to the reader and paint a clear image of exactly what it was like in their heads.
The context of the poem influences peoples attitudes a huge amount because if the poem was persuading people to try and join the army then everyone would follow on and if you didn't, people would see that individual as a coward for not wanting to fight for everything they have got.
Writing can be very powerful in many ways in the sense of persuasion. For example, 'the charge of the light brigade' by Alfred Tennyson was written very shortly after the first world war had ended, and whilst the great loss of soldiers was fresh in peoples mind, he wrote it in a way in which was sensitive but also still got the point across to the reader.
Throughout the poem Tennyson repeats that there was 600 men going to fight, however towards the end he lets the reader down gently by saying that there are no longer 600 men, but doesn't give the specific figure.
When Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about the war, he had a first hand experience and knew exactly why people were wanting to join the war and from my point of view, I think people would think he was a reliable source and trust him in what he says about joining the war and therefore would follow his lead and young people would see him as a role model, and then join up to the army also.