It sounds like a very masculine theme!
I know it is risky, in terms of gaining approval, in a class full of female students.
It's my first (and the last) time doing an e-Porfolio, and thanks Mike for letting us do so.
Since I like the feeling of typing academic work into a 'blog', that gives me a stronger feeling of intimacy to readers (hopefully not just Mike and Emma). In a blog, I think I can reflect more on my inner feelings and I can avoid writing formally (which makes things lengthy).
Okay let's get started.
I chose 'War and conflict' as my theme because I like reading poems about wars since I studied History in my sixth form and I am interested in the topic. Doing my poetry portfolio in such a topic exposes myself extensively to the world of poetry about wars. More importantly, the word 'war' holds a metaphorical meaning of conflicts between people as well.
I don't know why. Everyone loves peace and I am a person who is anti-war too. Odd enough, most of the time I would like to be a peacemaker, however, to be frank, I am quite a person who likes conflicts. Perhaps I seldom lower my head in front of confrontation and, I hope by writing some poems, I could manage to figure out the reason too.
Most parts of my portfolio will be about poems and images related to warfare.
* * * * *
To establish a meaningful relationship between a poem and an image is not an easy task. Because most of the time there is not many ekphratic relationships between poems and an images if we are bounded by the theme. Since I personally think that this course is Painting and Poetry as Text and Experience, and everyone may have different interpretation to a poem or to an image. Therefore, I would tend to share with you more about my personal feelings to them instead of an analysis of the poems.Firstly, I would like to show you this poem by John Donne and an image I found online.
* * * * *
A Burnt Ship - John Donne
Out of a fired ship, which by no way
But drowning could be rescued from the flame,
Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came
Near the foes' ships, did by their shot decay;
So all were lost, which in the ship were found,
They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown'd
This poem is very effective to me. Because it shows a sense of dilemma at war. Try to imagine if you're one of the crew members on that burnt ship, it takes you a lot of courage to 'leap forth' and I take it as jumping into the sea, although you may drown, but at lease you can avoid being burnt to death. For those who did not jump, as the enemy ship approaching, they were shot and died. So sometimes you don't know which way to go, but actually the outcome might still be the same, no matter which way you choose.
The view to the sea is also ill-fated. Because no matter you are jumping into the sea of not, you die eventually. However, death is also a prominent theme here. As literally and as a matter of fact, it does swallowed the ship, but as John Donne pointed out, only by 'drowning' could the ship be 'rescued from the flame'. It is quite paradoxical indeed.
The painting also seems very ekphratic, since obviously the illustration of a burnt ship is the main idea. I think the sea is well-painted as it shows some vigorous waves, but at the same time, the area near the burnt ship is peaceful and calm. It could be inferred as a grave for the ship and for the crew.
Yes, indeed, war does create a lot of damages. However, I believe that there is somehow a judge, be it fate or God. It is fair at the final destiny that everyone of us will be judged.
* * * * *
Ballad of Birmingham - Dudley Randall
(On the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963)
“Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren’t good for a little child.”
“But, mother, I won’t be alone.
Other children will go with me,
And march the streets of Birmingham
To make our country free.”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For I fear those guns will fire.
But you may go to church instead
And sing in the children’s choir.”
She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,
And bathed rose petal sweet,
And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,
And white shoes on her feet.
The mother smiled to know her child
Was in the sacred place,
But that smile was the last smile
To come upon her face.
For when she heard the explosion,
Her eyes grew wet and wild.
She raced through the streets of Birmingham
Calling for her child.
She clawed through bits of glass and brick,
Then lifted out a shoe.
“O, here’s the shoe my baby wore,
But, baby, where are you?”
This juxtaposition is done by me and I figured out that the effect is so striking. Although the poem was written by an American poet about the bombing of a church and a mother's discovery of the shoe of her own child, I still decide to juxtapose an Afghan girl who found her brother dead in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, because I could associate with the effect of learning the death of someone you love.
Yes, war is cold. Suicide bombing is disastrous. Especially we could see that the 'mother' in the poem told the child two times 'No, baby, no, you may not go' when the child asked her permission to go out. It is not difficult to understand that, she, as a mother, will feel really guilty for letting her child go. Without knowing that 'the smile was the last smile to come upon her face', she thought that the church was a sacred and at least, a safe place. Of course, the sudden bombing in both the painting and the poem was beyond the prediction of the mother and the Afghan girl, so actually I despise the assault of a sudden or secret attack. I think that confrontation should not be that secret or immoral (I think that suicide bombing is immoral because it is stealthy). If there should be a war, it should be public, direct, and an army should minimize the casualties because the people are innocent.
Sometimes we focus a lot on how relief work should be done. For instance, how to soothe the victim, how to provide compensation, but we always neglect what can we do to prevent these tragedies from happening.
Ballad of Birmingham - Dudley Randall
(On the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963)
“Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren’t good for a little child.”
“But, mother, I won’t be alone.
Other children will go with me,
And march the streets of Birmingham
To make our country free.”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For I fear those guns will fire.
But you may go to church instead
And sing in the children’s choir.”
She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,
And bathed rose petal sweet,
And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,
And white shoes on her feet.
The mother smiled to know her child
Was in the sacred place,
But that smile was the last smile
To come upon her face.
For when she heard the explosion,
Her eyes grew wet and wild.
She raced through the streets of Birmingham
Calling for her child.
She clawed through bits of glass and brick,
Then lifted out a shoe.
“O, here’s the shoe my baby wore,
But, baby, where are you?”
This juxtaposition is done by me and I figured out that the effect is so striking. Although the poem was written by an American poet about the bombing of a church and a mother's discovery of the shoe of her own child, I still decide to juxtapose an Afghan girl who found her brother dead in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, because I could associate with the effect of learning the death of someone you love.
Yes, war is cold. Suicide bombing is disastrous. Especially we could see that the 'mother' in the poem told the child two times 'No, baby, no, you may not go' when the child asked her permission to go out. It is not difficult to understand that, she, as a mother, will feel really guilty for letting her child go. Without knowing that 'the smile was the last smile to come upon her face', she thought that the church was a sacred and at least, a safe place. Of course, the sudden bombing in both the painting and the poem was beyond the prediction of the mother and the Afghan girl, so actually I despise the assault of a sudden or secret attack. I think that confrontation should not be that secret or immoral (I think that suicide bombing is immoral because it is stealthy). If there should be a war, it should be public, direct, and an army should minimize the casualties because the people are innocent.
Sometimes we focus a lot on how relief work should be done. For instance, how to soothe the victim, how to provide compensation, but we always neglect what can we do to prevent these tragedies from happening.
* * * * *
Dreamers - Siegfried Sassoon (1919)
Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.
I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.
Here I would like to express my apology since the above image may be a little distressing to some of you. But don't worry, you're good now as long as you keep focusing on my words instead. The soldier was a Soviet Union soldier who was shot in the head during the first World War. A peaceful or euphemistic way to say a person is dead is to mention that a person is sleeping. I immediately associate the idea of sleeping and entering a dream. This is one of the reasons that I choose to juxtapose them against each other.
Moreover, from Sassoon's poem 'Dreamers', it is clear that he is pointing directly to soldiers. The first two lines are quite thought-provoking.
'Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows. '
Because the image is a black-and-white one, and the soldier is dead, lying on a grey land. It seems that the soldier is going to live there forever. Also, he has no 'share' of tomorrow in terms of time since his life has just ended by a bullet. These two lines serve as a bridge between the poem and the image.
I think the relationship between the poem and the image is also a mockery to soldiers. Since the poem points out the 'must win' attitude of soldiers, and 'when the gun begins', they think about home and wife. There is a dramatic irony in such a relationship. Since the soldiers are always dreamers, the war fulfill their desire, that is, to let them dream, forever.
It will be wise for us to treasure our time, because we never know when will tragedy strike us, or the people we love. So take a little time a day, to try to express our love to our family and friends. Don't put it off until we regret not doing so :)
Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.
I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.
Here I would like to express my apology since the above image may be a little distressing to some of you. But don't worry, you're good now as long as you keep focusing on my words instead. The soldier was a Soviet Union soldier who was shot in the head during the first World War. A peaceful or euphemistic way to say a person is dead is to mention that a person is sleeping. I immediately associate the idea of sleeping and entering a dream. This is one of the reasons that I choose to juxtapose them against each other.
Moreover, from Sassoon's poem 'Dreamers', it is clear that he is pointing directly to soldiers. The first two lines are quite thought-provoking.
'Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows. '
Because the image is a black-and-white one, and the soldier is dead, lying on a grey land. It seems that the soldier is going to live there forever. Also, he has no 'share' of tomorrow in terms of time since his life has just ended by a bullet. These two lines serve as a bridge between the poem and the image.
I think the relationship between the poem and the image is also a mockery to soldiers. Since the poem points out the 'must win' attitude of soldiers, and 'when the gun begins', they think about home and wife. There is a dramatic irony in such a relationship. Since the soldiers are always dreamers, the war fulfill their desire, that is, to let them dream, forever.
It will be wise for us to treasure our time, because we never know when will tragedy strike us, or the people we love. So take a little time a day, to try to express our love to our family and friends. Don't put it off until we regret not doing so :)
* * * * *
A British Soldier attacked Iraqi terrorists
A British Soldier attacked Iraqi terrorists
If We Must Die - Claude McKay (1919)
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursèd lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
This juxtaposition of image and poem is perhaps more on the pessimistic pole. From the poem title "If We Must Die" holds a fateful connotation and it gives readers a sense of helplessness towards enemies' attack. In spite of that, as you read on, you will effortlessly sense the determination of 'we' to take revenge and fight back.
Although, as the poem written at the end, 'pressed to the wall' and 'dying', it seems impossible for a revenge. Facing the 'murderers', it is human to feel afraid, to be coward. The poet's call for bravery creates an internal conflict within a person's mind. The poet, Claude McKay, urges one to 'meet the common foe' and to 'show us brave'.
To a large extent, I agree with the poet's voice and I appreciate her determination and call for bravery. Since war can be metaphorically conflicts between people, I hold a view that when being 'pressed to the wall', that is when others are imposing on you more and more unreasonably, we should 'meet the common foe' and go for the theory of an eye for an eye.
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursèd lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
This juxtaposition of image and poem is perhaps more on the pessimistic pole. From the poem title "If We Must Die" holds a fateful connotation and it gives readers a sense of helplessness towards enemies' attack. In spite of that, as you read on, you will effortlessly sense the determination of 'we' to take revenge and fight back.
Although, as the poem written at the end, 'pressed to the wall' and 'dying', it seems impossible for a revenge. Facing the 'murderers', it is human to feel afraid, to be coward. The poet's call for bravery creates an internal conflict within a person's mind. The poet, Claude McKay, urges one to 'meet the common foe' and to 'show us brave'.
To a large extent, I agree with the poet's voice and I appreciate her determination and call for bravery. Since war can be metaphorically conflicts between people, I hold a view that when being 'pressed to the wall', that is when others are imposing on you more and more unreasonably, we should 'meet the common foe' and go for the theory of an eye for an eye.
* * * * *
'Paths of Glory', 1917 by CRW Nevinson
Paths of Glory - Kevin Law © (2010)
A country's glory is the aim
that risks our lives and brings us shame.
Nobody's mentioned 'It's a game'
that lives and grass are of the same.
The road of suffr'ing must be through
under the same old sky so blue.
Will you, and you, and you, and you,
united as one, but not as two.
Together we fight, together we die.
Our souls for sure will rise up high.
Our bones will shatter, our blood will dry,
Perhaps it's time to say goodbye.
The Path of Glory, tear away
their families with great dismay.
Sir, bear in mind in each new day,
The Path of Glory has to pay.
This painting was painted as a response to Thomas Gray's "Elegy written in a country churchyard". I first saw this poem in the Imperial War Museum in London. I like this painting a lot because it really shows the horror of war and death. Therefore, I also wrote the poem 'Paths of Glory' to reinforce the idea of anti-war. Because needless to say, a war is very destructive, both in terms of physical environment and the psychological wound in victims' heart. Some countries in the World Wars declared war very easily or impulsively. Here in the poem I wanted to ask the King or President of a country to keep his composure. War is not the end of conflict, but is indeed the door of further confrontation and hostility.
'Paths of Glory', 1917 by CRW Nevinson
Paths of Glory - Kevin Law © (2010)
A country's glory is the aim
that risks our lives and brings us shame.
Nobody's mentioned 'It's a game'
that lives and grass are of the same.
The road of suffr'ing must be through
under the same old sky so blue.
Will you, and you, and you, and you,
united as one, but not as two.
Together we fight, together we die.
Our souls for sure will rise up high.
Our bones will shatter, our blood will dry,
Perhaps it's time to say goodbye.
The Path of Glory, tear away
their families with great dismay.
Sir, bear in mind in each new day,
The Path of Glory has to pay.
This painting was painted as a response to Thomas Gray's "Elegy written in a country churchyard". I first saw this poem in the Imperial War Museum in London. I like this painting a lot because it really shows the horror of war and death. Therefore, I also wrote the poem 'Paths of Glory' to reinforce the idea of anti-war. Because needless to say, a war is very destructive, both in terms of physical environment and the psychological wound in victims' heart. Some countries in the World Wars declared war very easily or impulsively. Here in the poem I wanted to ask the King or President of a country to keep his composure. War is not the end of conflict, but is indeed the door of further confrontation and hostility.
* * * * *
A Little Atomic Bomb
A Little Atomic Bomb - Charles Bukowski
Just give me a little atomic bomb
Not too much just a little
Enough to kill a horse in the street
But there aren't any horses in the street
Enough to knock the flowers from a bowl
But I don't see any flowers in a bowl
Enough then to frighten my love
But I don't have any love
Well give me an atomic bomb then to scrub in my bathtub
like a dirty and lovable child
I've got a bathtub
Just a little bomb general
With pugnose
Pink ears
Smelling like underclothes in July
Do you think I'm crazy?
I think your crazy too
So the way you think.
Send me one before somebody else does.
Here we have got a special poetic effect from the reading of a poem. In addition to the sound we hear, there is also a brilliant animation to the Bukowski's poem. The poem, the narrator's voice and the visual animation derived a triangular relationship from this poem.
' A Little Atomic Bomb' is not related to warfare. It is related to one's internal conflict of mind. The 'atomic bomb' here means alcohol (Imagine the shape of a bottle of beer). The poet mentioned that a 'bomb' for him will be:
'Enough to kill a horse in the street
But there aren't any horses in the street
Enough to knock the flowers from a bowl
But I don't see any flowers in a bowl
Enough then to frighten my love
But I don't have any love'
but as we can see that the poet has an intentional confusion or conflict of mind. Because the 'atomic bomb' means alcohol, so when he is drunk, he doesn't make sense in what he says too. The poet also mentioned 'pink ears', he refers that as a pig, however, when a person starts to get dizzy and a bit drunk, he would have a pair of pink ears, usually.
The voice of the narrator is worth noting as well. Since his voice is rather low and slow, the style of pronunciation is also relaxed. We can infer that the narrator is pretending a drunk person's voice.
Last but not least, the animation effect of the poem is also profound. At the beginning the aeroplane drops a 'bomb' into the dark 'sea'. You can see that the formation of the following figures, including the horse, the vase, the flower and the woman. Also, the 'water' in the 'sea' becomes the ink for the calligraphy pen which writes the poem. So we get a sense from the poet and the animation designer that it is actually the alcohol, that frees his tongue and let him speak.
* * * * *
Kevin Law © 2010
What is Civil War?
It's an oxymoron term,
men fight for their land.
* * * * *
However I ask,
with amazement on my face,
why did it happen.
* * * * *
Eighteen-Sixty-One,
Confederate and Union
at last, opened fire.
* * * * *
History does repeat,
however it's in China
eighty years later.
* * * * *
I really pray that
I won't see one in my life
at least, not in here.
* * * * *
It's an oxymoron term,
men fight for their land.
* * * * *
However I ask,
with amazement on my face,
why did it happen.
* * * * *
Eighteen-Sixty-One,
Confederate and Union
at last, opened fire.
* * * * *
History does repeat,
however it's in China
eighty years later.
* * * * *
I really pray that
I won't see one in my life
at least, not in here.
* * * * *
Kevin Law © 2010
It is really a relief to have finished the ENG374 Portfolio. In this creative project, I exposed myself to a lot of paintings about war and conflicts and learned a lot. For example I recaptured my long-forgotten knowledge about the WWI and I am also very delighted to have written some beautiful poems. I never thought I can do that, and I really think that everyone of us can!
Everyone of us has a unique theme. Although warfare cannot be very personal, I tried to include personal opinions and I have also written some poems regarding the theme: war and conflict.
The world is full of conflicts, if not wars. Let's hope that the world is peaceful forever and I would like to encourage you to live every single day as if it is your last. By doing so, every brand new day is the best day for you.
Cheers,
Kevin.
Everyone of us has a unique theme. Although warfare cannot be very personal, I tried to include personal opinions and I have also written some poems regarding the theme: war and conflict.
The world is full of conflicts, if not wars. Let's hope that the world is peaceful forever and I would like to encourage you to live every single day as if it is your last. By doing so, every brand new day is the best day for you.
Cheers,
Kevin.
