"Sweet and proper"

English Poet Wilfred Owen
Source: Wikipedia

As young men went off to fight in World War I, they carried with them in their minds and hearts that it was “sweet and proper” for them to die for their country.  Their ideas stemmed from widely accepted beliefs of the time period where war was not only embraced but glorified as well. Heinrich von Treitschke was a German historian in the late 1800s who taught that “war brings progress and becoming.”  Because of these commonly held beliefs, idealism and optimism spread in the minds of the soldiers at the beginning of the war. 

Unfortunately, this idealism and optimism didn’t endure the war, and for most soldiers, was lost early on in the trenches. The shift in attitude is evidenced in the literature and poetry that we have today that dates back to the Great War.  Much of what the soldiers recorded is dark and cold as they write of death, pain, and horror.  

Today I had the opportunity to listen to many poems written during WWI, and I’ll be honest with you, it was hard to keep my composure hearing about the lives of the soldiers. There was one poem in particular that struck a chord with me by an English poet and soldier, Wilfred Owen, entitled ‘Disabled.’  I felt that it related to my life, even though it was written one hundred years ago, and even though it was written from the perspective of a soldier.  Owen writes about a subject that I, along with most people in the world face daily: fear.

One parallel specifically regarding fear is that the soldiers had no idea where the next bomb was going explode, so they had to constantly be on guard.  Do we see this today?  In movie theaters, line dancing bars, night clubs, classrooms, and concerts?  

Another commonality is that with real fear, there is no off button.  Fear is a force that lingers, we learn from his poem, though it would be nice if it didn’t overstay its welcome.  

What we can conclude is that whether on the front lines at war, or the battlefields at home, we will face fear.  But like any good soldier, we can brave our fearful challenges as they come. 

Timing is Everything

Owen Wilfred was one of the Great War poets. Inspired and tutored by the likes of Seigfried Sassoon, He managed to capture the pointless horrors of world war one perfectly in prose. He wrote,

Owen Wilfred as a soldier

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?Only the monstrous anger of the guns.Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattleCan patter out their hasty orisons.

The lament for those lost was familiar to those who were on the front lines, but not to the leaders of the world.

 There were those in the period before the first world conflict who romanticized war. The previous wars had lasted only short periods, with a decisive victory for one side, and glory for the conquers. With wars like the 30 days war, the Spanish American war, Serbo Bulgarian war, and the Franco-German war, Europe had seen only relatively short and less heavy casualty fighting. They began to maneuver for more power and set up a system of alliances based on national pride, and designed to help keep there empire secure.

In the dead soldiers debate, Wilfred turned to his poetry to communicate his feelings about the war. I have often wished that I could express my feelings in ways that others could connect to and understand. Like Wilfred, I live in a time of growing nationalism, and leaders that are more concerned with patriotism to a cause than individual utilitarian rights of freedom and the pursuit of happiness.  Shakespeare, an English idol often had his stories revolve around time. The mistiming of Romeo and Juliet is what makes the story so tragic. Wilfred was killed a week before the war ended, the telegram only arriving at his mothers house as the victory bells clanged. I think that he would have liked the poetic irony in his death, and his mother would experience "The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori".

Picture: Wilfred Owen: by unknown, in the public domain

As If I Was There

Trenches on the 11th Cheshire Regiment

I attended a poetry reading which was held in commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I. I have never been to a poetry reading before, which is shameful because I do enjoy it. I usually sit towards the front of the room, but this time I sat in the back. Why? Perhaps because World War I was such a terrible war and I subconsciously wanted to distance myself from the people who would be reading about it.

Before entering the auditorium, we were invited to select a single poem from a stack just outside the door. I grabbed one without looking at it, and took my back-row seat. It wasn’t long before a good friend of mine, Dr. Westover, a professor at BYU, came into the room and sat by me. We chatted for a few moments, and then the lights dimmed. A man stood up to the microphone and welcomed everyone. I was slightly taken aback when he said that the audience would be invited to come up to read the poems they had picked from the stack. I don’t know… I guess I assumed that someone had been assigned to read a list of poems?

As soon as the mic was open, Dr. Westover made his way to the front. This was unsurprising to me, as one of his passions is poetry and the written word. He had selected “Dulce et decorum est.” I recognized this poem from high school, and words like, “blood-shod,” “stumbling,” “drowning,” and “writhing” came back to me. I imagined the unlucky soldiers gasping for breath and finally giving up. I could almost see “the blood/Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs” (21-22) and could feel the “incurable sores on innocent tongues” (24). Dr. Westover’s voice continued to send me to this place that I have never been and hope to never be.

I don’t think often about war, at least not in more than “once upon a time” terms. But it is real. And it mangles bodies and rips apart families. War is horrible, but sometimes it is necessary. When done with the correct end in mind, a country can experience great nationalism and can be brought together more closely. I believe that remembering our country and the values we enjoy would be eye-opening for every American, especially as we remember those who will never open their eyes again.


Image Credit: Wikipedia public domain "Trenches on the 11th Cheshire Regiment at Ovillers-la Boiselle, on the Somme, July 1916.

Her Portrait, Their Palace

The Baroque era is known for its “emotional richness and technical complexity.”  This was largely manifest in the ostentatious architecture of this period as opposed to a simple structure.  It was dramatic, theatrical, and elaborate effects and decorations.  For example, look at the architecture of the Blenheim palace in England.

Blenheim Palace

The size is intimidating, and the stone work adds to the intensity of the architecture.  Vaulted ceilings, impressive murals, and intricate detail, and grand staircases are a few of the features that typified the baroque architecture in the Blenheim palace.

sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

In my Spanish literature class we studied a poem by sor Juana Inés de la Cruz that she wrote during the Baroque era.  She was born out of wedlock in Mexico and later became a nun.  Much of her efforts were geared toward prejudice against women and minorities.  Her poem, “A Su Retrato” (or “To Her Portrait”) is about how a beautiful and impressive portrait of a woman is a disillusionment of the what’s really underneath the what appears on the surface.  Flattery has sought to hide the wrinkles that come with old age and the passing of time, but when it comes down to it “this coloured counterfeit” of a painting is really “corpse and dust, shadow and nothingness" (source).

This poem, written in the baroque era, made me think back to the grandiose architecture.  Was there harm in this specific characteristic of the baroque era?  Was it a disillusionment of something that would disappoint as each layer was peeled back until nothingness remained?  Should they have returned to simplicity, too?  Or was there a separate, more valuable purpose to this art?

Image sources: Blenheim Palace (via Literary Festivals), sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (via biography.com)

Spiritual journaling: growing closer to God

John Donne in his ‘Holy Sonnet No 14’ opens himself up, completely expressing how he feels about his relationship with God.  This is written well after his young, wild days and he writes in current and utmost humble state.  One thing I really appreciate about this sonnet of Donne’s is that he isn’t trying to impress anyone through elaborate word choices or creative uses of metaphors.  He writes in very sincere language, as if he is writing directly to God.  He has a line at the end of the sonnet that says, “except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.”  This to me speaks volumes, and has me wondering about how I can strengthen my relationship with God through writing my thoughts down.

I’ve never been the best at journaling, but I do try to make an effort to keep a spiritual journal to write down thoughts and impressions as they come.  I have found that when I do this, I feel closer to God. I really like the example of Donne writing in a deeply heartfelt manner; his sole desire is to become changed by God and to become one with him.  I feel like if we were to take the time to write out our feelings toward God, we would see a strengthened relationship with Him.  

image cred: http://ocw.nust.na/gutenberg/4/8/6/8/48688/48688-h/images/

The Role of Art for Today's Youth

John Donne (pictured to the left) was a poet alive during the time of the British Renaissance. In his earlier years, his poetry was primarily about love and he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. However, after growing older and getting married, the topics of his poetry changed and he began to write to about religious things, such as his personal relationship with God.

For Donne, his poetry helped him to work through and understand his feelings. Poetry was not just a means of making an income or persuading people towards one school of thought or another, it was his outlet, his means of understanding the world around him. Art, in its many forms, is capable of having this kind of effect on all who call themselves an artist.

However, art does not hold the same respect that it had in the Renaissance in today's world. Many schools around the country have greatly reduced or even completely pulled funding from their arts programs, meaning some students aren't learning how to express themselves through a creative medium. Artistic expression may be what makes the difference between a student growing up to be a criminal or a productive member of society.

If we could simply have the same appreciation for art that our ancestors had, we could help so many students in America have the resources that they need to learn and grow. If we can look to the example of John Donne, then we can see the kind of change that can occur in the life of an artist who is allowed to exercise their talents.

Image Credit: John, http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/ Public Domain

Riding Westward

Last year I took a class on the history of British literature. We ended up in a lot of interesting texts and poems during the course, but my favorite place that we landed was the metaphysical poetry of John Donne. Metaphysical poetry is interesting in that it's a sort of manifestation of the Renaissance spirit. It can be appreciated on the surface level for it's beauty and skill, but also included in the lines are references to a wide variety of sources. John Donne, for example, liked to call upon not only religious images, but also scientific and philosophical themes.

John Donne had a rough life. He was born a Roman Catholic in a time in England where that was illegal. He married the woman he loved in secret, and was thrown in jail for it. When he was released, he dealt with the deaths of several of his twelve children and eventually his dear wife, all while struggling financially.

On top of everything, he was 'encouraged' by the king to abandon his religion and become an Anglican priest, which, of course, he did. All through this, he wrote. Early on, he wrote some pretty bawdy stuff. But later, when the trouble hit, his poetry shows a deep commitment to his faith, to his God, whatever trappings the world may have put on Him.

"Hence is't, that I am carryed towards the West/
This day when my Soules forme bends toward the East." 

My favorite poem by John Donne is called Good Friday, 1613, Riding Westward. Due to the metaphysical nature of the poem, I can't say that I understand everything  Donne is trying to say to me. But I understand the feeling. He talks about how, on Good Friday, a day when all Christian hearts move eastward to the cross, he's facing the wrong direction. He goes on to wonder how anyone could bear to face eastward to see the Lord's suffering, finishing with a supplication to God for strength to be able to look on His face.

The Renaissance and Reformation was a time of "riding westward". It was a time of forging ahead into a new day all the while concerned that something important was being left behind. Donne speaks to that beautifully with a particular poignancy, having been Catholic and pressed forward by the movement of the time.

In the end though, the main reason I like John Donne so much has nothing to do with his profound eloquence or his remarkable ability to layer several meanings in a single line. Set aside the unique perspective and poetic brilliance and you see a man. A very human, very real man, trying his best in a world that hasn't done much for him.

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