11.11.11

[amberdreams]

1914
 
War broke: and now the Winter of the world
With perishing great darkness closes in.
The foul tornado, centred at Berlin,
Is over all the width of Europe whirled,
Rending the sails of progress. Rent or furled
Are all Art's ensigns. Verse wails. Now begin
Famines of thought and feeling. Love's wine's thin.
The grain of human Autumn rots, down-hurled.
 
For after Spring had bloomed in early Greece,
And Summer blazed her glory out with Rome,
An Autumn softly fell, a harvest home,
A slow grand age, and rich with all increase.
But now, for us, wild Winter, and the need
Of sowings for new Spring, and blood for seed.
 
Wilfred Owen

Comments

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

This is very touching.

There is something utterly unspeakable about the First World War (not that every war isn't dreadful), but the incompetence and cowardice of the top brass which led to such mindless slaughter was beyond tragic.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I remember watching the documentary series (which had beautiful theme music too) when I was at school and crying my way through nearly every week.

My Gran's brother was killed at the Somme, very young. She never forgot him.

That is one reason why that last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth is so bloody good.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

I can remember a long weekend trip to Ypres and Menin a few years ago. I spent the whole time bawling my eyes out; poor Barry must have had a blast :)

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I did that! We went to Arras, then Vimy Ridge, and a couple of other WWI sites - harrowing.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Absolutely.