[Not the overall point of the poem, but] yet for all that, it turns out chemical weapons aren't even that useful: https://acoup.blog/2020/03/20/collections-why-dont-we-use-ch...
Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
71–80 of 116 posts
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seems a bit like an historically blinkered statement. There's a long history of countries militarily supporting their allies; there's nothing "modern" about this. Most of the countries in WWI - which this poem is about - entered the war because of existing alliances, not because they were personally affected by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. While the US was indeed attacked by the Japanese in WWII, th…
Vietnam was Lyndon B Johnson making money from weapons procurement and supporting his donors. (Such as Brown and Root, who started the war as a tiny firm and ended it as one of the biggest contractors in the US.) Iraq was Dick Cheney's sponsors making money from oil and arms deals. Afghanistan was Bush's sponsors making money from weapons procurement. Iran is Trump's sponsors making money from oil and arms deals, plu…
To say this is simplifying is understating just how 'not even wrong' this is...
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#73I was bothered by the fact that the English poem doesn't scan correctly.
This prompted me to look up the ode, and I can't figure out the Latin meter. Does anyone know?
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext...
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#74While we're sharing anti-war songs/poetry, I like And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (originally written by Eric Bogle, but I personally like the Pogues' version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKURhqmSLmM
My personal favorite is the song from the movie (not the show, haven't watched) M.A.S.H.
Or, perhaps, Vera Lynn's "We'll meet again some sunny day".
These are good movies to rewatch, especially in these interesting times.
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#75Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#76This reminds me of what could be considered a complementary poem/song, by John F. Kendrick: -- Onward, Christian soldiers! Duty's way is plain: Slay your Christian neighbors, or by them be slain. Pulpiteers are spouting effervescent swill, God above is calling you to rob and rape and kill, All your acts are sanctified by the Lamb on high; If you love the Holy Ghost, go murder, pray and die. -- Onward, Christian soldi…
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#77While we're sharing anti-war songs/poetry, I like And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (originally written by Eric Bogle, but I personally like the Pogues' version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKURhqmSLmM
Another great Eric Bogle song is Green Fields of France.
I like this version by The Men They Couldn't Hang best :
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#78I remember reading this as part of GCSE English, unfortunately the school system in the UK makes poetry dry and uninspiring. In terms of anti-war poems I prefer "The Box" by Kendrew Lascelles.
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#79In the 1990s, in the UK, my secondary school English teacher, who had Shakespearian actor vibes and wore dark tweed trousers and a plain white shirt—imagine Patrick Stewart if you may—brought this poem to life in my class by vividly reenacting a soldier dying from mustard gas poisoning by falling onto a desk and flailing about in front of the stunnned students sitting at it. I've never forgotten the closing line sinc…
Yeah, we did it too, in the early 80’s. I’m not an “artsy” type, very focused on maths and sciences (6 A levels), but I can quote two poems verbatim from all those years ago. The first is “Jabberwocky” because I had to memorise it for a school performance, it’s still something of a party-trick, a real tone-poem, the first and last verses are identical, but spoken so differently, the alliteration, tempo-changes, etc. etc.
The second is “Dulce et decorum est”, which we studied and analysed for “O” level. This poem, very much, is not a party-trick.
Re: Dulce et Decorum Est (1921)
#80I remember reading this as part of GCSE English, unfortunately the school system in the UK makes poetry dry and uninspiring. In terms of anti-war poems I prefer "The Box" by Kendrew Lascelles.
I did it too and found it to be the same. It was years until I realised we had actually been doing rather good stuff.