 |
 |
When reading poetry on the subject of war, one's own feelings
regarding the subject are evoked. This makes it easier to feel the words
and what they say to you. Crane's selection, "War is Kind" presents a
dilemma from the outset as it uses two words "war" and "kind" that are
dissimilar. Crane then highlights acts of destruction and despair with the
"kindness" of war. He notes that a child should not weep when his father
was killed, "Do not weep, babe, for war is kind. Because your father
tumbled in the yellow trenches, Raged at his breast, gulped and died. Do
not weep. War is kind." As if a child could think that someone who killed
his father was kind. Or he contrasts "virtue" with "slaughter" ("Point for
them the virtue of slaughter") and "excellence" with "killing." ("Make
plain to them the excellence of killing"). War may be honorable,
purposeful, or necessary, but it is not kind, there is no virtue in
slaughter, and there is no excellence in killing.
Whitman notes in "Beat! Drums! Beat!" that when war comes, everything
stops, including the sense and reason of the moment. No matter what is
happening, there is no excuse for attending to anything else. The urgency
of the moment rules. "Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the
houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds", "Make no parley - stop for
no expostulation." "Let not the child's voice be heard, nor the mother's
entreaties, ...
Stevie Smith's "Not Waving but Drowning" and Adrienne Rich's "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" are similar in that both poems' characters have lived their lives with regret and sorrow. Neither of their lives were lived to the fullest and as death approaches, the question of, "what could have been?" remains forever unanswered. Upon first reading, Stevie...
Thank You! RECIPIENT NAME In Great Appreciation Of Your 35 Years of Dedication to Education. A Special Teacher takes a hand, opens a mind and touches a heart. Teachers like you are few and far between. Thank You! Now that you're retiring We can tell you how we feel; Our heartfelt admiration Is deeply felt and real. You've been a gr...
Trials and hearings take place frequently in our society today. In a trial, it is the job of two lawyers to persuade a jury to see a situation a certain way, regardless if it is the right way, the truthful way, or if it is even the way they themselves see it. It is then the jury's obligation, after listening to both sides of the story, to make a...
In Mark O'Connor describes the early moments of newly hatched turtles; the turtles begin the race of life, with their sights set on the sea, overcoming the many difficulties and obstacles they face. O'Connor portrays that for every moment spent on the beach, the chance of surviving becomes more, and more slim. He describes merciless predators, w...
Casualty' by famous Irish poet Seamus Heaney is a fiercely political, touchingly personal, and deeply religious elegy. It is part of his later work, published as part of his 5th collection ' 'Field Work'. The poem was written about and anonymous party originally, but a time after releasing 'Casualty' Heaney revealed, in an interview, that he had...
