The poem Repression of war memories illustrates the society-pressured denial of the atrocities of war.
The diction describing the moth dying towards the candle is unpleasant “blundering and scorching” which are violent and not pleasant imagery but, it becomes relative to the war experience with ”glory.” In warfare there is always some attempt to romanticize losses as dying for a cause, the image becomes more than the suffering moth it becomes a suffering soldier. The narrator realizes this and tries to correct his thought. Repressing the war experience the narrator sees war in everyday actions like the moth.
We also see social perception of dealing with war. “And its been proved that soldier don’t go mad” the proof adds some scientific and social perspective on the issue, the proof also feels as confining as the repression of the thoughts of war. “Unless they lose control of ugly thoughts that drive them out to jabber among the trees.” The fear the soldier has developed of his own mind is additionally burden to the violence he is witnessing. The pressure on the mind increases with harsh diction “jabber” and “ugly” and the threat of lunacy. Additionally the tone of the “Unless” is quite judgmental and matter of fact, it creates a sensation that there’s a clear expected order to dealing with a war that no one has seen before, which is clearly ridiculous. We sense the narrators fear of judgment but we also sense he has bitterness and opposition to repressing war trauma.
The pressure is temporally relieved with the “Now light your pipe steady hand” the narrator seems to have everything under control and using a mundane activity to distract himself. This stanza sounds a bit like a list of instructions to follow in order to deal with the war, and the narrator seems to reassure himself with the “as right as rain” but the cleansing imagery of rain quickly turns destructive when the narrator starts asking for a thunderstorm that would “make the roses hang their dripping heads.” This imagery shows beauty being stifled and broken down by violent rain, which ironically was supposed to help it grow. This relates to how he feels about the war, showing again how war invades his thoughts. His abrupt change to books as a topic show that he is again trying to divert his attention anything that reminds him of war, which in this case is even something as natural and purifying as a rose and rain. He talks about books in a pseudo positive manner “I tell you all the wisdom of the world Is waiting for you on those shelves; and yet You sit and gnaw your nails” the humanities as well as nature cannot make the narrator forget the war showing that he cannot distract himself in anyway, he is forced to live with his own fear.
His attempts to distract himself become more desperate, “You’re quiet and peaceful, summering safe at home; You’d never think there was a bloody war on!... O yes, you would ... why, you can hear the guns.” the repetition of "you" creates a faster rhythm which creates a greater sense of urgency and fear, which is Ironic as he is trying to calm himself down. In his last attempt he realizes that he cant hide from his thoughts any more the word “why” brings back this painful yet rational recognition of his dire situation.
I think it's rather obvious after your commentary, but it would be cool if you concluded it with the significance of the title.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, when I was reading this blog, the technique of distracting oneself from the horrors of war seemed to jump out at me as similar to what Hemingway uses in his "The Sun Also Rises". Jake constantly tries to look at the scenery and "normal" life, in order to lose himself in it and pretend that he is just like everyone else- when he feels grumpy, or upset because of Brett. I just thought that was really interesting. In the novel there are moments where the war is praised (by Mike and his story about the medals), but this only supports the idea that Mike wasn't really in the war much at all, and when he proceeds to degrade the war Jake becomes a bit irritated. In many other moments the war is portrayed as tiring and boring, and mostly ignored.
Do you think the poem's anger towards society is the same in "The Sun Also Rises"?
Interesting connection. I think that Jake is angry about somethings in society particularly America's conservatism, and homophobia but Jake has some sort of community of ex-patriots, particularly with Bill. The Repression of the war experience makes the narrator feel very alone he doesn't mention any dialogue with others but his change in tone and diction implies his fear of societal judgment. However Jake's injury could be very relevant to this poem. Everyone around Jake is afraid to acknowledge his injury, is a repressed issue in his relationships. The only one who brings it up is Bill.
ReplyDeleteI guess Jake isn't totally alone like the narrator is in "Repression of War Experience"... Though he does hate society in some aspects.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to only this poem, Jake's relationships, especially with Bill, are not represented. And I guess Jake isn't thinking about the war all the time, but everything he does is an effect of the aftereffect of the war (if that makes sense). If we look at the poems we've read collectively, I think the idea from the poems that veterans of the war cannot connect with society, or see the purpose of doing anything parallels Hemingway's novel.
It's interesting to think where Jake's injury fits in with all of this. In reference to the poems, it could sort of be how society ignores all the bad things that happen during war, making the soldiers angry at society. Perhaps in Owen's "Apologia Pro Poemate Meo", Jake would connect. Anyways, I find it somewhat intriguing to connect the poems to "The Sun Also Rises" because writing plays a bit of a role in the novel.