Ghost of a flea

Armistice

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues -
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

- from Wilfrid Owen's "Dulce et decorum est"

The writers known as the War Poets are remembered justly this time of year as we observe Remembrance Day and the armistice of November 11, 1918. Their work has defined the Great War for those of us lucky enough not to live through it. Their words suggest the horror of the trenches and the tragedy of human conflict.

With the exception of a little ditty involving Tipperary and Leicester Square, the "trench songs" are less well remembered. Their purpose is not so different from the War Poets and I expect the strong language of the trench songs would have helped me get through a night in hell.

In Owen's day it was soldiers who bore the brunt of the shells and the killing gas. The fascists of these times are still at it though now as ever their preferred targets as those who can least defend themselves. It is shameful that contemporary poets reserve all their bile for the elected representatives charged with defending, among other things, the freedom to write bad poetry. David Aaronovitch explains better than I can.

The best analogy for latter day War Poets are the works of War Bloggers, not those bloggers who supported military action but the soldier bloggers of the Gulf and elsewhere. It is not only the heroism of old we must remember but the heroism of today. There are several veterans and men on active service on the Flea's blogroll. I want especially to honour and thank you.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at November 11, 2003 11:00 AM

Comments

Post a comment