Judge — June 29, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis: "Awake!" by J.A. Waldron This is **World War I propaganda poetry** illustrated by Charles Sarka. The piece appeals to American home-front readers to support the war effort, likely published when the U.S. was considering or had recently entered the conflict (1917-1918). The **top illustration depicts battlefield carnage**—soldiers fallen among devastation. The **bottom illustration shows two figures resting**, possibly representing weary soldiers or home-front citizens. The poem argues that American soldiers fighting in Europe face horrors ("German madness," "shrapnel shrieks") so that civilians at home need not. It shames those remaining passive, urging them to "Rise up and smite the Hun!"—using dehumanizing language for Germans common in WWI propaganda. The message: Americans must actively support the war effort to honor soldiers' sacrifices.