S. Sassoonʼs and W. Owenʼs Poems Featured in the Film Regeneration

Transcription

1 ʼs and W. Owenʼs Poems Featured in the Film Regeneration N. 1 - Sassoon's Public Statement Of Defiance 'I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it. I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects witch actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation. I have seen and endured the suffering of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust. I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerity's for which the fighting men are being sacrificed. On behalf of those who are suffering now I make this protest against the deception which is being practised on them; also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realise.' N. 2 - Base Details If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath I'd live with scarlet Majors at the Base, And speed glum heroes up the line to death. You'd see me with my puffy petulant face, Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel, Reading the Roll of Honour. "Poor young chap," I'd say "I used to know his father well; Yes, we've lost heavily in this last scrap." And when the war is done and youth stone dead, I'd toddle safely home and die -- in bed. The Calls A dismal fog-hoarse siren howls at dawn. I watch the man it calls for, pushed and drawn Backwards and forwards, helpless as a pawn. But I'm lazy, and his work's crazy. Quick treble bells begin at nine o'clock, Scuttling the schoolboy pulling up his sock, Scaring the late girl in the inky frock. I must be crazy; I learn from the daisy. Stern bells annoy the rooks and doves at ten. I watch the verger close the doors, and when I hear the organ moan the first amen,

2 Sing my religion's-same as pigeons'. A blatant bugle tears my afternoons. Out clump the clumsy Tommies by platoons, Trying to keep in step with rag-time tunes, But I sit still; I've done my drill. Gongs hum and buzz like saucepan-lids at dusk, I see a food-hog whet his gold-filled tusk To eat less bread, and more luxurious rusk. Then sometimes late at night my window bumps From gunnery-practice, till my small heart thumps And listens for the shell-shrieks and the crumps, But that's not all. For leaning out last midnight on my sill I heard the sighs of men, that have no skill To speak of their distress, no, nor the will! A voice I know. And this time I have to go. N. 3 - 'They' The Bishop tells us: 'When the boys come back 'They will not be the same; for they'll have fought ' In a just cause: they lead the last attack 'On Anti-Christ; their comrades' blood has bought 'New right to breed an honourable race, 'They have challenged Death and dared him face to face. ' 'We're none of us the same!' the boys reply. 'For George lost both his legs; and Bill's stone blind; 'Poor Jim's shot through the lungs and like to die; 'And Bert's gone syphilitic: you'll not find 'A chap who's served that hasn't found some change. ' And the Bishop said: 'The ways of God are strange!' N. 4 - Dulce et Decorum Est 1 Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, 2 Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,

3 3 Till on the haunting flares we turned out backs, 4 And towards our distant rest began to trudge. 5 Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, 6 But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind; 7 Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots 8 Of gas-shells dropping softly behind. 9 Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!--an ecstasy of fumbling 10 Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, 11 But someone still was yelling out and stumbling 12 And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, 14 As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. 15 In all my dreams before my helpless sight 16 He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. 17 If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace 18 Behind the wagon that we flung him in, 19 And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, 20 His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin, 21 If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood 22 Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs 23 Bitter as the cud 24 Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-- 25 My friend, you would not tell with such high zest 26 To children ardent for some desperate glory, 27 The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est 28 Pro patria mori.

4 N. 5 - Anthem for Doomed Youth 1 What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? 2 Only the monstrous anger of the guns. 3 Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle 4 Can patter out their hasty orisons. 5 No mockeries for them; no prayers nor bells, 6 Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,-- 7 The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; 8 And bugles calling for them from sad shires. 9 What candles may be held to speed them all? 10 Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes 11 Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes. 12 The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; 13 Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, 14 And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. N. 6 - The Parable of the Old Man and the Young So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went, And took the fire with him, and a knife. And as they sojourned both of them together, Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father, Behold the preparations, fire and iron, But where the lamb for this burnt-offering? Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps, And builded parapets and trenches there, And stretched forth the knife to slay his son. When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,

5 Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, Neither do anything to him, thy son. Behold, A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him. But the old man would not so, but slew his son, And half the seed of Europe, one by one.