A friend who has been reading my blog asked a few weeks ago, "Aren't there any happy war poems? They're all just so….depressing." So I've searched for a poem that might be considered "happy," and I've thought about the question a lot. For now, I've provisionally reached the conclusion that a Happy War Poem would most likely be grotesque or offensive. I find it hard to imagine how a poem can be "upbeat" about war.*
However,
war poetry is often described as
inspiring or uplifting (Studdert Kennedy's "Lighten
Our Darkness" and Colwyn Philipps' "Release"
come to mind), and black humor is frequently used to satirize war or to cope
with the unimaginable (Rickword's "Trench
Poets" is an example).
The anonymous poem "Faith"** makes yet a different point -- sometimes, no matter how dire the circumstances, we can choose hope. In the midst of evil and suffering, we can affirm beauty and goodness.
Faith
I
heard the cannon’s monotone
A
mile or two away;
But
in the shell-torn town I saw
Two
little boys at play.
From
what was yesterday a home
I
heard the cannons booming;
But
in the garden I could see
A
bed of pansies blooming.
Along
the weary, dreary road,
Forspent
and dull I trod;
But
in the sky of spring I saw
*If
anyone can think of a happy war poem or has another response to the question, I'd
love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
**I
found the poem in YANKS A.E.F. Verse (1919),
a book I picked up at a second-hand bookstore, and I can find no other record
of its publication or its author.
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