Transcript War Poetry

War Literature
Products of
Inspiration or Desperation?
Why Literature and War?
• The intense excesses of human emotion would
always result in the propagation of creative
expression.
• War is such a hugely emotional occurrence because
it:
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affects people on a massive scale
potentially involves issues of life and death
usually entails intense suffering
gives rise to heroic behaviour
creates demons and monsters as well
Why Literature and War?
• As such, it makes for excellent human drama.
• The kind that finds a sympathetic ear or eye in
almost every level of society as it underlies the
core of human experience.
• An expedient outlet of such drama lies in
various forms of artistic expression, including
(but not limited to) literature.
Different Modes of Creative Expression
Félix Vallotton, Le cimetière de Châlons-sur-Marne (The Cemetery of Châlons sur Marne), 1917,
oil on canvas, 54 x 80 cm, Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine - BDIC, Paris.
Songs
Speeches
Plays
Letters
Novels
Poetry
Biographies/
Autobiographies
Sculptures
Music
War
Film
Paintings
Essays
Photographs
Installation Art
Cartoons
Posters
Allied Propaganda Posters
Axis Propaganda Posters
The Real Battle Field
C. R. W. Nevinson, Paths of Glory, 1917, oil on canvas, 45.7 x 61 cm, Imperial War Museum.
Death in the War
Frans Masereel, Arise, You Dead, Infernal
Resurrection, 1917, woodcut, 14 x 11 cm, Musée
d'Histoire Contemporaine - BDIC, Paris.
Picasso’s Guernica
“
The Spanish struggle is the fight of reaction against the
people, against freedom. My whole life as an artist has
been nothing more than a continuous struggle against
reaction and the death of art. How could anybody think for
a moment that I could be in agreement with reaction and
death? ... In the panel on which I am working, which I shall
call Guernica, and in all my recent works of art, I clearly
express my abhorrence of the military caste which has sunk
Spain in an ocean of pain and death.
”
• The Guernica is an iconic work that universally
represents the suffering of war victims. While
the Spanish Civil War inspired the painting, it
is now a timeless piece reminding generations
about the ill-effects of war.
Picasso’s The Weeping Woman
Follow-up from Guernica, the final instalment of a
series of war paintings.
While inspired by the sufferings of war victims, this
painting is now an icon representing human
suffering.
• For Picasso, war and suffering was an
inspiration for him to display his artistic talent
and feelings.
• For many writers, the many great wars
provided them inspiration for their art, but
some of them were also involved in the war as
soldiers, pilots etc.
• For example, Roald Dahl’s experience as a
war-time pilot led him to write his book Going
Solo
• For some poets, it is more desperation than
inspiration, as they write from the perspective
of a soldier deeply mired in the complexities
of war.
• They can be stuck in trenches with gunfire
overhead, they can be victorious, they can be
on the verge of death, they may have lost a
comrade.
• This term “war poetry” originated after WWI,
simply because many prominent war poets
emerged after this war.
• Some eventually died in the war, including poets
like Rupert Brooke, Wilfred Owen.
• Others like Siegfried Sassoon survived, and lived
on to launch scathing attacks against the idea of
war.
The Writers of War
Others
Wilfred Owen
Rupert Brooke
Siegfried Sassoon
• By the time WWII came about, the
conspicuous absence of war poetry had led
people to question “Where are the war
poets?”
• By then, war poetry was accepted by the
public as necessarily a positive product of war.
Beyond portrayals…
• Other than depicting the human drama,
writers, poets, artists, composers etc. have
other reasons to create pieces about the war,
such as to express:
– Anti-war sentiments
– Political aspirations/propaganda
– Nationalistic fervour
Recurrent Themes
• Each creative persona seeks to highlight a particular
aspect of war that they have observed or personally
experienced.
• Several recurrent themes can be consistently
observed in the literature of war. These themes
characterise these pieces as literature of the war.
• The following lists some of these themes though the
list is by no means exhaustive.
Recurrent Themes
Power & Dominion
Religion
Futility
Courage
Violence
Good vs. Evil
Glory & Honour
Brotherhood
Loss
Themes
Peace & Pacifism
Death
Women & the War
Guilt
Pain & Suffering
Duty
Survival
Heroism
Patriotism
Innocence Lost
Sacrifice
Hope
Songs Inspired by War
• When faced with extreme trauma or a profoundly lifechanging event, such as war, a person may choose to
express it in a manner which is non-threatening as part of
psychological recovery.
• This allows a rationalisation of the issue
• And if this is in the form of music or a song, it allows the
individual to vocalise and express this problem with others
as a means of therapy and warning as well.
• In addition, writing a song that people could identify with
would draw in the community in unity through sharing a
common experience.
Songs Inspired by War
• Generally speaking, songs can be
demarcated along several broad lines of
division based on their purpose.
• They include songs that are:
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an anti-war protest
an exhortation for peace
a recount of personal experiences of war
a reflection on the effects of war
any combination of the above
• With the combination of words and music,
songs are highly successful in sending their
message.
A couple of songs about war
• Listen to these 2 songs carefully
• They’re actually versions of the same song
(somewhat), performed by the same band,
with different tones and moods about them.
• Decide which song you prefer, or can identify
with better
• Keep the songs in mind as you embark on an
activity after this.
System of a Down - Soldier Side (Intro)
Welcome to the Soldier Side
Where there's no one here but me
People all grow up to die
There is no one here but me
System of a Down - Soldier Side
Dead men lying on the bottom of the grave
Wondering when saviour comes
Is he gonna be saved?
Maybe you're a sinner, into your alternate life
Maybe you're a joker, maybe you deserve to die
They were crying when their sons left
God is wearing black
He's gone so far to find no hope
He's never coming back
They were crying when their sons left
All young men must go
He's come so far to find the truth
He's never going home
Young men standing on the top of their own
graves
Wondering when Jesus comes
Are they gonna be saved?
Cruelty to the winner, Bishop tells the King his
lies
Maybe you’re a mourner, maybe you deserve to
die
They were crying when their sons left
God is wearing black
He's gone so far to find no hope
He's never coming back
They were crying when their sons left
All young men must go
He's come so far to find no truth
He's never going home
Welcome to the Soldier Side
Where there's no one here but me
People all grow up to die
There is no one here but me
Welcome to the Soldier Side
There is no one here but me
People on the soldier's side
There is no one here but me