1 Copyright ©Tracee OrmanThe War Poems & Poets Copyright ©Tracee Orman

2 Focus on the emotion that the speaker is trying to convey.The War Poems & Poets Past wars and conflicts were fought much differently than today’s wars. To understand and imagine what the poets are trying to convey, it’s important to see things from their point of view. You may have studied the wars in history class, but for these exercises, try to put yourself in the speaker’s shoes (or boots). Focus on the emotion that the speaker is trying to convey. Finally, answer the questions on the corresponding handouts after viewing (or during) the slideshow.

3 WWI - Trench Warfare Wilfred Owen Dulce et Decorum Est

4 Watch a video about trench warfareon YouTube, or go to slide 32.

5 5.9” caliber explosive shells (or 150 mm)“Five-Nines” 5.9” caliber explosive shells (or 150 mm) Above, example of 150 mm shells (aka “five-nines”) Left, this is a 155 mm shell from WWII. Right, these are larger shells from WWI.

6 WWI - Covered Wagons (for the dead or dying)

7 WWI Landmines Johnny Got His Gun: Timothy Bottoms stars as a soldier fighting in World War One, who is horrifically injured by a land mine, losing his limbs as well as the ability to see, hear, smell or taste. Regaining consciousness in hospital, he remembers the hideous experience, but can't discern which parts of his memories are real… (from

8 WWI - Chemical Warfare & Gas MasksMustard gas and chlorine/phosgene gas were used; one of the effects of being exposed to the gas was the person’s lungs would fill with fluid, just as one would while drowning.

9 from http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/305Wilfred Owen from Owen was born in England in By the age of 17 he was trying his hand at poetry. Owen moved to France to teach English in 1911 and in 1915 became interested in the war. He enlisted and after training in England, became a second lieutenant. In 1917 he was wounded and suffered from “shell shock.” He met Siegfried Sassoon while he recovered in Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh. There he wrote “Dulce Et Decorum Est” and “Anthem for a Doomed Youth,” two of his most famous poems. In June of 1918 he rejoined his troops and in August returned to France. He was killed in battle November 4, 1918, just seven days before Armistice Day. He is one of the most admired poets of World War I, writing with honesty and raw emotion, honoring the soldiers without glorifying the horrific acts.

10 Slides 13-15 - poem over three pagesWilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” can be read over the course of three pages (in larger print) or in one page (smaller print). Slide 12 - one page poem Slides poem over three pages Or watch the YouTube video (links on pages 10 and 11), which contains the words to the poem and images from WWI.

11 As you listen to the poem, try to picture images that indicate“Dulce et Decorum Est” is Latin for “Sweet and fitting” or “Sweet and right” As you listen to the poem, try to picture images that indicate “sweet” or “right.” WATCH & LISTEN to a recording on YouTube: IF the link does not work, please listen and view HERE. Listen to a recording from librivox.org:

12 Watch & Listen Here If Links Are Not Working (slide 33)Wilfred Owen Dulce et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Behind the wagon that we flung him in, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, And towards our distant rest began to trudge. His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin; Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, --My friend, you would not tell with such high zest Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling, To children ardent for some desperate glory, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est But someone still was yelling out and stumbling Pro patria mori.* And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime... Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, (1920) As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. *Dulce et...mori: a quotation from the Latin poet Horace, “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.” In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. Watch & Listen Just Listen Watch & Listen Here If Links Are Not Working (slide 33)

13 Wilfred Owen Dulce et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

14 Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling,Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime... Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

15 If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, --My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.* (1920) *Dulce et...mori: a quotation from the Latin poet Horace, “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”

16 Did you find any images that are “sweet” or “right”?If not, what device is the author using by calling this poem “Dulce et Decorum Est”? The entire phrase: “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” means “it is sweet and right to die for your country.” What is the author’s message? Continue to the next slide for another Wilfred Owen poem (a sonnet) called “Anthem for Doomed Youth.” Then answer the questions on your handout.

17 Anthem for Doomed YouthWilfred Owen Anthem for Doomed Youth What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires. What candles may be held to speed them all? Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes. The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. Listen

18 John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer during WWI, wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields.” Both “Anthem of the Doomed Youth” and “In Flanders Fields” have a similar message; however, their view of war differs. Notice the different images McCrae uses to depict war. How do they affect the tone of the poem? Read the poem on the following slide, then answer the questions in your handout.

19 Watch & Listen on YouTubeIn Flanders Fields Written in by John McCrae (1915) After witnessing the carnage of WWI John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields." McCrae, a Canadian, was a medical officer in the Boer War and World War I. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Watch & Listen on YouTube Watch & Listen on slide 35

20 Look up the following terms:WWII Poetry & Related Songs Look up the following terms: Ball turret flak bomber jacket

21 WWII - Ball Turret/Ball Turret GunnerRandall Jarrell The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

22 Modern Marvels: Ball Turret Gunner Click for Scene from“Memphis Belle” on YouTube, or go to slide 31 for embedded video. Click for Scene from Modern Marvels: Ball Turret Gunner on YouTube, or a shorter segment on slide 34.

23 Randall Jarrell Randall Jarrell was born in Nashville, Tennessee in He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Vanderbilt and went on to become a teacher. He published his first book of poems in 1942, the same year he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the war, Jarrell continued teaching and writing until his death in He died in a car accident, which may have been a suicide. Source: Poets.org

24 The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Listen Randall Jarrell The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. (1945)

25 Randall Jarrell's notes:A ball turret was a plexi-glass sphere set into the belly of a B-17 or B-24 bomber and inhabited by two .50 caliber machine-guns and one man, a short, small man. When this gunner tracked with his machine-guns a fighter attacking his bomber from below, he revolved the turret; hunched upside-down in his little sphere, he looked like the fetus in the womb. Randall Jarrell The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose. (1945) The fighters which attacked him were armed with canons firing explosive shells. The hose was a steam hose.

26 “One” by Metallica is a contemporary song with similarities to the war poems. According to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich in a 1991 Guitar World interview, the song was based on Dalton Trumbo’s 1939 novel Johnny Got His Gun. Metallica uses footage from Trumbo’s 1971 movie adaptation in their music video. Listen to the song, paying attention to both the lyrics and the tempo of the music. Then compare its theme, imagery, figurative language, and overall affect to the war poems.

27 “One” by Metallica Listen I can’t remember anythingwritten by James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, 1987 Performed by Metallica, 1989 Listen I can’t remember anything Can’t tell if this is true or dream Deep down inside I feel the scream This terrible silence stops with me Hold my breath as I wish for death Oh please God, wake me Now that the war is through with me I’m waking up I can not see That there’s not much left of me Nothing is real but pain now Now the world is gone, I’m just one Oh God, help me Oh please God help me Back in the womb it’s much too real In pumps life that I must feel But can’t look forward to reveal Look to the time when I’ll live Darkness imprisoning me All that I see Absolute horror I cannot live I cannot die Trapped in myself Body my holding cell Fed through the tube that sticks in me Just like a wartime novelty Tied to machines that make me be Cut this life off from me Landmine has taken my sight Taken my speech Taken my hearing Taken my arms Taken my legs Taken my soul Left me with life in hell

28 Compare the song “One” with the war poems.How are the themes alike? Do they have any similar images? How are the uses of poetic devices similar? The next slide features Phil Ochs’ 1965 protest song “I Ain’t Marching Anymore.” How is it similar to the song “One”? How does it differ?

29 I Ain’t Marching AnymorePhil Ochs I Ain’t Marching Anymore For I marched to the battle of the German trench, Oh, I marched to the battle of New Orleans, In a war that was bound to end all wars. At the end of the early British wars. Oh I must have killed a million men, The young land started growing, And now they want me back again. The young blood started flowing. But I ain't a-marching anymore! Oh I killed my share of Injuns in a thousand different fights, I was there at the Little Big Horn. I heard many men a-lying, I saw many more a-dying. For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky, Set off the mighty mushroom roar. It's always the old to lead us to the wars, But I saw the cities burnin', Always the young to fall. And I knew that I was learnin', Now look at what we've won with a saber and a gun. That I ain't a-marching anymore! Tell me is it worth it all? Now the labor leader's screamin' when they closed the missile plant, For I stole California from the Mexican land, Fought in the bloody Civil War. United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore. Yes, I even killed my brothers, Call it peace or call it treason, And so many others. Call it love or call it reason. I ain't a-marching anymore! Watch & Listen This song is performed by Phil Ochs and appears on the album I Ain't Marching Anymore (1965) and on the album The War Is Over: The Best Of Phil Ochs (1988).

30 Image Sources page 2 - http://westerncivguides. umwblogsImage Sources page 2 - page page page page page page Sound recordings courtesy of librivox.org, public domain Alternative recording for “Anthem for Doomed Youth” SLIDES CONTAIN EMBEDDED VIDEOS

31 From “Memphis Belle”

32 World War One Trench Warfarefrom:

33 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qts3K3KznN4“Dulce Et Decorum Est” from:

34 Spinning in the ball turret.From:

35 “In Flanders Fields” from:

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