11/11

[altariel]

For by my glee might many men have laughed,
And of my weeping something had been left,
Which must die now. I mean the truth untold,
The pity of war, the pity war distilled.
Now men will go content with what we spoiled,
Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled.
They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress.
None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.

From Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen

And do read the poems posted by the_wild_iris.

Comments

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Is it okay to add our own favourite poetry/quotes from war poets here? Or would you rather let the worbs above stand on their own and let them only speak for themselves? If so, then please accept my apologies and delete my post.

Parable of the Old Men and the Young (W.Owen)

So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretched forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son. . . .

[altariel.livejournal.com]

By all means post on this thread, particularly that poem.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Hmm, interesting choice of icon... (Tolkien and Owen do mix after all. If my copy of Lord of the Rings weren't on my bookshelf on the other side of the Channel, I would have posted the description of the Dead Marshes as opposed to Owen's Futility). Moreover, the icon points out that I am too stupid to even copy and paste: The last line from Owen's poem is missing, of course! It is that line that makes this poem not only poignant but scathing -- and I forgot it!

And half the seed of Europe, one by one.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The Pyre of Denethor is just the same as the Abraham and Isaac story, down to the knife, and the Angel arriving and telling the father not to kill the son. LotR being myth, the Angel can intervene directly, I guess.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

I can see the parallel, but only to a certain extent. In the Genesis story it is clearly a test of faith, i.e. Abraham has to be willing to offer even his beloved son to God, although God intervenes and substitute an animal for a human sacrifice. But the fact that Abraham would have been obedient to any divine commend makes him blessed indeed:
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son]: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Gen 22.15-18, KJV)
In The Pyre of Denethor, however, the sacrifice is an inversion of this story -- not obedience to God, but a heathen rite, not at divine command, but instigated by the impersonation of evil, not due to love for God, but caused by human madness, pride and despair.
And in Owen, the Biblical story is turned into sheer and very bitter irony, of course.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I missed this post of yours...

I agree that Tolkien and Owen are telling inverted or ironic versions of the Abraham story, but perhaps the inversion and the irony are precisely what make them modern versions of that story. I guess they're also both about loss of faith. Tolkien portrays this as a fault in Denethor; in Owen's poem, the loss of faith is in the leaders like Denethor. Traditional forms of authority have broken down: I think Tolkien's solution is to try to restore that faith (by means of a 'true' king, Aragorn); there isn't a solution in Owen's version, just a sense of betrayal. Either way, I think both retellings suggest that the Abraham story is no longer quite sufficient, after the trenches.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I missed this post of yours...
Oh, don't worry about that. No offence intended, none taken. :)

Unfortunately, I haven't got anything smart, innovative or enlightening to add. I can only tell you that I like your interpretation very much, especially your conclusion:
Either way, I think both retellings suggest that the Abraham story is no longer quite sufficient, after the trenches.

I absolutely agree. Values like obedience and sacrifice tend to lose their glamour in the face of carnage, and this once more reminds me of the truism what sense of disillusionment the First World War must have created and what a crucial event it was, as far as political, economical and mental consequences are concerned. I noticed this first when I learnt in my English and French classes that it is still called The Great War or La Grande Guerre in these countries. (In my view of history, the Second World War always tends to obliterate it.)

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.

It's interesting how these lines are ambiguous - I can't decide whether it's valour or militant stubbornness that Owen is predicting here. Isolated, as in your icon, it seems wholly positive; in context, more puzzling. Definitely a hugely rich and thought-provoking poems. Thanks for posting.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You know, I had always read it as militant stubbornness - thank you for the other interpretation, it'll make me read the poem afresh.

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

When I first saw the quote on your icon - and not being too familiar with the poem itself - I read it as people keeping their chosen course despite what governments might do. And then when I read it in the context of the whole thing, it seemed as though it might refer to people blindly following their governments away from progress - although not clearly enough that I could abandon the first reading! I did puzzle my brain over it.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I do like that icon...

[the-wild-iris.livejournal.com]

Mine? Thank you!

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

It inspired me to buy a postcard with a drawing of an iris on it this morning. Don't worry, it was only five pence - something to do with the John Rylands Library having a surplus of stock they need to shift quickly while the building's closed for repairs.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Owen is one of my most favorite poets ever; I can remember reading his "Dulce et Decorum Est" as a high school student and being overcome by it.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

"If in some smothering dreams you too could pace..."

There is a very good online archive, with links to images of the manuscripts.

[hardrada.livejournal.com]

I saw his round mouth's crimson deepen as it fell
Like a Sun, in his last deep hour.
Watched the magnificent recession of farewell,
Clouding, half gleam, half glower,
And a last splendour burn the Heaven of his cheek,
And in his eyes
The cold stars lighting, very old and bleak
In different skies.

[hardrada.livejournal.com]

When I'm asleep, dreaming and lulled and warm,
They come, the homeless ones, the noiseless dead.
While the dim charging breakers of the storm
Bellow and drone and rumble overhead.
Out of the gloom they gather about my bed.
They whisper to my heart; their thoughts are mine.
"Why are you here with all your watches ended?
From Ypres to Frise we have sought you in the Line."
In bitter safety I awake unfriended.
And, while the dawn begins with slashing rain
I think of the Battalion in the mud.
"When are you going out to them again?
Are they not still your brothers through our blood?"

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Both excellent, H., thank you.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Others have posted some more excellent pieces up-thread.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Thank you, A.