War poets and Chinese poets

My father's written a book about South-East Asian poets who write in English. I'll follow this one up for you and give you a few pointers. I am ashamed to say I haven't read it. After years of being soaked in Asian life, I rather wanted to regain my European heritage, but that's very narrow (blushes). As for war poets - oh, I tell you what...you should really listen to some of Benjamin Britten's music, settings of poetry etc...even if you are a classical music phobe, it'll turn you on to the poetry in magical ways. One of my favourites settings of his is Wilfred Owen's 'The Kind Ghosts': She sleeps on soft, last breaths; but no ghost looms Out of the stilllness of her palace wall. Her wall of boys on boys and doom on dooms. She dreams of golden gardens and sweet glooms. Not marvelling why her roses never fall Nor what red mouths were torn to make their blooms. The shades keep down which well might roam her hall. Quiet their blood lies in her crimson rooms And she is not afraid of their footfall. They move not from her tapestries, their pall, Nor pace her terraces, their hetacombs, Lest aught she be disturbed, or grieved at all.

Thanks Emma, I've got some of Benjamin Britten's music on C.D that I haven't listened to properly yet, It's the War Requiem funnily enough. I think I'll make it bed time listening tonight. That's a fascinating poem you've quoted. What's it about, or what's it inspired by? Put in context with the idea of war I imagine the female character is a metaphor for an idealised aspect of war. Crikey, that's probably way off mark, but what a thought. By the way, what's a 'hetacomb'? That word isn't in my Oxford Concise dictionary! Just went looking for a definition on the net. Got one: "A hetacomb is, literally, a massive sacrifice involving the slaughter of one hundred oxen - a reference to ancient Greek and Roman practices. By extension, a hetacomb is any large slaughter for a consequent benefit..." Maybe I wasn't far wrong after all. What a bloody (no pun intended) marvelous poem. Thanks again Emma :)

I read your message with interest and I am puzzled why you want to start to learn poetry by writing about war. If this is the route you want to take then by all means but there are lots of things you can write about to gain experience in poetry. The author geoff Tims who is a regular visitor on the radio has two poems about war in his book Deca. One is called last Man Standing and the other is called Scared. These are very powerful poems and mean a lot to people who have been it that situation. If you are starting out them i would contact geoff tims because i sent him some of my work and he was great and gave me lots of advice. His site is www.geofftims.co.uk I would recommend that you read poetry books and modern poetry to give yourself some knwoledge but do not feel that you ahve to start writing about war. good luck

I always believed the female metaphor was the Queen, her Royal Majesty, in her palace.

Chantelle - I don't want to learn to write poetry through war poems in particular, they're just one of the areas I'm interested in. I was talking to someone about poetry and describing what I've enjoyed about the little that I've heard/read and she thought I may like some of the poetry that came out of the two world wars. When I heard about the young men who wrote in the trenches and on the battlefields I knew I wanted to read it. I've strong memories of the stories told by elderly relatives who lived through it and I feel a deep connection to those events. Especially with the way the world is turning now and the questions this raises about where we've been, where we're going and what we've learned. What contemporary stuff would you recommend? I'm really open to suggestions. Thanks for the thoughts and the link I'm going to check it out. :) Emma - You're right of course, I'm abstracting unnecessarily yet again. :)

There is a wonderful poem which was written in the first world war by a soldier with no name. I am sorry but i cannot remember the name of the poem but i will ask around. it is used a lot of funerals because of the importance of the poem. There is another one you should look out for by the name of Rupert Brooke. I am not really into old style poetry and only like a handfull of old style poets. I like modern poetry because it allows you to feel more of the poem. I read a lot of poetry and my favourite modern poem on war is Scared by Geoff Tims, my favourite old style poem is The Soldier by Rupert Brooke. I hope this helps

It does, thanks. I think I've heard the first poem you mentioned before, but only remember it in a vague way. If you manage to track it down I'd love to hear it. Thanks again :)

I recommend the second-world-war poet Keith Douglas.

But she would weep to see today how on his skin the swart flies move; the dust upon the paper eye and the burst stomach like a cave. For here the lover and killer are mingled who had one body and one heart. And death who had the soldier singled has done the lover mortal hurt.

The road curls down below you. In its spell Pass glebe and woodland, where a hundred ways Twist, some to a fairyland, and some to hell; But there are better things beyond the maze. Douglas was so unlucky, killed by a sniper during the push through Normandy, having survived gruesome tank warfare in North Africa. I went to the same school as him (and Coleridge), and he learned his love of nature in the same woods and hills as I did, so I identify with him. He wrote wonderful poems before the war too, and I believe his death robbed British poetry of a serious talent. He drew beautifully as well; I saw a wonderful exhibition of his art at the Bodleian in Oxford.

Wonderful lines. I'll look him up. Thanks :)

i have an anthology called 'up the line to death' .. it's all first world war poetry.. if you're looking to buy something.. i'd recommend it.. i wrote my extended essay in IB onWWI poetry actually and this book was pretty much all i needed.. the ones that stood out for me were In Memoriam by E. A. Mackintosh and of course.. An Irish Airman foresees his Death by Yeats and heres a really short one by A E Housman called Here dead we lie: Here dead we lie becaue we did not choose To live and shame the land from which we sprung Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose But young men think it is, and we were young.

Excellent, an anthology is really what I'm after thanks. If anyone knows a good WWII volume that would be great too. Cheers :) BTW Emma - listened to Benjamin Brittens War Requiem. Don't know how to describe it, 'bloody good' doesn't hit the mark and 'powerful' could mean anything. It's bloody good and powerful isn't it?

If you like that, snappy, you would love some of his song settings... He did a cracking John Donne 'Death Be Not Proud'...I could go on...keep your eye out for the stuff. I took a look at my dad's book for you...it is about Singaporean and Malaysian poetry in English...the most important name being Shirley Lim... however, most of the people he discusses are English poetry imitators (due to being educated over here)...so I'm not particularly turned on with the stuff.

I love the internet me - enter 'Shirley Lim' - Bam! There she is. Ta :) It'll be Chrimbo before I'll be a gettin' any Benji Britten I reckon, owing to being pooooooooor and also owing the library a fair bit of cash (bad move). These song settings, can you actually hear the words? This is exciting, I've been waiting for something new to really take my fancy. I'm feeling a warm cultural glow all over. Thanks Emms :)

Oh, yes, the words are clear as a bell...get the ones sung by his lifetime partner...Peter Pears.