WW2 poetry

That's excellent, will look forward to exploring these poems. Thank you

 

Thank you for sharing the post : Appreciate your support

 

World War 2 Poetry blog has been updated : Started writing about Louis MacNeice's poem 'The News-reel' from 1944 but end up taking in his epic poem 'Autumn Journal' published in 1939 . Next to George Orwell's 'Coming Up for Air','Autumn Journal' must be one of the most important literary 'Eve of War' works, where a narrator tries to confront their personal issues against a background of increasing international progress to World War.
WorldWar2poetry: Louis MacNeice (1907-1963) 'The News-reel'

 

Whilst engaged with the thread on 143 Special Service Company, I noted how Fusilier John Done of 1st/8th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers:

extracted here:

Don’t stand and weep for me
I am the wind
I’m wild and free
I am the mist in the cold night air
I am the summertime warm and fair
I am the gentle autumn rain
I am the sun on the ripened grain
I’ll be there when you lie in your bed
I am the pillow where you lay your head
In a raging storm, I am the eye
I am a thousand birds that fly
Don’t stand and weep for me
I am the wind
I’m wild and free
Remember every word of love that I said
I am the vision at the foot of your bed
I am the stars that shine in the night
A beautiful eagle in the morning light
Don’t stand and weep for me
I am the wind
I’m wild and free

I wondered if Members had come across other variants?

Grandmother, a war widow, would recite maybe three poems, one of which I have adjusted and used at funerals in the past. At the last occasion, a late friend mentioned that they had come across a variant attributed to the War and sent me a photocopy, reproduced below:



'My' version began "Just an ordinary family ..," but with very similar words and continuing resonance.

I wondered if anyone had come across it (or variants) before and any information on origin?

 

Two very moving poems thank you.

The first poem , starting lines, using 'I am'.....with various images of nature , reminds me of the 'The Song of Amergin' from Celtic mythology.


Amergin, Bard of the Milesians, lays claim to the Land of Ireland

" I am a stag: of seven tines,
I am a flood: across a plain,
I am a wind: on a deep lake,
I am a tear: the Sun lets fall,
I am a hawk: above the cliff,
I am a thorn: beneath the nail,
I am a wonder: among flowers,
I am a wizard: who but I
Sets the cool head aflame with smoke?...."

Song of Amergin -- Amergin Press

 

One from the vaults. 2016 post about the bombing raid on Coventry , 14th November 1940

WorldWar2poetry: Coventry 14th November 1940

Some background from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry.

 

Currently looking at the work of Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva (1865-1941). Fell out of favour under Stalin but her poems were allowed to be published as from the 1960's.Her 1939 'Poems for Czechoslovakia' are particularly impressive, attacking the post Munich 1938 dismantling of the country.
WorldWar2poetry: Marina Tsvetaeva

 

Pleased to have re-discovered this broadcast by Radio Prague International 'The Literary Legacy of Lidice'. English language audio just under 18 minutes with the text of the broadcast. Shows how the German massacre of the menfolk and destruction of the Czech village in 1942 was portrayed at the time and in subsequent years.

 

Have updated the World War 2 poetry blog to feature a post about the life of Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, Polish poet killed in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

 

Have updated the World War 2 Poetry blog to feature a post about the poetry and other writing of Lynette Roberts, who lived in rural Carmarthenshire, Wales during World War 2. Also refers to the Swansea Blitz that took place on 19th-21st February 1941.

 

Have updated the World War 2 Poetry blog to feature a post about Spike Milligan's poem 'The Soldiers at Lauro', about his war service in the Italian campaign. Milligan was traumatised by the fighting at Lauro in January 1944, as described in his war memoir 'Mussolini- His part in my Downfall.'

 

Hi Susan,
how about this one by W.R. Rogers
"The roads of Europe are running away from war, running fast over the mined bridge and past the men waiting there, with watch, ready to maim and arrest them. And strong overhead the long shoring's of the planes' tracks.

etc. etc.

Stefan

 

Sorry for the delay in writing a blogpost on the Women's Lands Army for the World War 2 Poetry blog . I have made contact with the website above and they have kindly given me permission to reproduce poetry from this source, and I would be pleased to give all due credit.

 

I have updated the World War 2 Poetry blog with a review of 'Poetry of the Second World War-An Anthology' edited by Tim Kendall, which was published in November last year.
Very helpful to read as I am trying to work out some theory behind the subject. Could just carry on sharing random posts about poems which seem to take my fancy but want to try and come up with some conclusions.
The above anthology deals with British poetry, the poets chosen have to have lived through World War 2 but not necessarily fought as combatants in uniform. Tim Kendall's introduction, short biography of each poet, and his notes on the texts of the poems are extremely helpful.
Pondering this anthology, can see that Britain's World War 2 Poetry is quite unique. There was already a huge amount of War Poetry from World War 1, Britain was regularly bombed so both combatants and non-combatants were on the front line so to speak, but the country was unoccupied apart from the Channel Islands.