Summary and composition

In what follows, we will focus on the summary and composition of “Eve of Destruction” by P.F. Sloan.

Summary

The song/poem “Eve of Destruction” is a textual form of protest against the war in Vietnam, which lasted for almost twenty years.

The first part of the poem depicts the disturbing situation in Asia, where conflicts do not seem to stop and where people constantly die. Also, the poem touches upon the unfairness of war: young men could easily be used to fight in the war, yet they were not seen as reliable enough to be allowed to vote. Then, the poem hints at the existence of nuclear weapons which, once activated, cannot but bring disaster for the entire planet. Even politicians are mentioned in the poem, with their connection to several marches against injustice and inequality. The poem ends by enumerating several disturbing and violent situations both in America and in China. The overall conclusion of the poem is that violence is everywhere, and destruction is imminent.   

Composition

To better understand the way in which one of the most famous protest songs functions, we must look at both its outer and inner composition.

Outer composition

The outer composition of a poem refers to the way in which the poem is constructed in terms of form. “Eve of Destruction” has four stanz...