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Bubu · Joined: 05 Jul 2004 Posts: 47

Hello,
Could you plz explain to me the meanings of the quoted line?
The following is portion from a poem.
LITTLE JONNY'S FINAL LETTER

I won't be home this evening
Don't worry, don't report me missing
Don't drain the canals to find me....

..."Simply gone to get myself classified"...

Thanks in advance

bud · Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 2111 Location: New Jersey, US

Hi Bubu,

Hmm... I've never been very good at understanding poetry, so I probably shouldn't even take a guess at this. But here goes anyway...

Could it be that the speaker is going off to try to join the army? It has a feeling of the US Civil War in the 1860's.

cgage · Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 66 Location: USA

During the Viet Nam War, AMerican men between the ages of 18 and about 30 were required by law to register with a draft board. After recieving a medical examination, you were "classified" as to whether you could serve in the military.

LucentShade · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 542 Location: Nebraska, USA

I think I agree with cgage. If the poem was written between 1964 and 1975, it is definitely going to be about the Vietnam War.

Dogu · Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 6 Location: Canada

The poem is about a boy going out into the world to become a man. Wether it be get a job or join the army. So he is telling his parents not to worry, or think he is dead, he is a man and can make it in the harsh world.

Thats what the poem means, he he he vietnam, it's a poem not something historical

hope i helped
Doug
_________________
T. Douglas Herrick