Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Siegfried Sassoon: The Inescapable War Poet



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Siegfried Sassoon—The War Poems
Portable Poetry, 2020 

As Sassoon's wartime diaries reveal, he was an extremely complex character, troubled by his homosexuality and anxious to prove his manliness in combat and so to earn the respect, perhaps even love, of his men. Also, as a poet first and foremost, he was never at ease with the majority of his fellow officers whom he found boorish, dull and snobbish, hence his delight in meeting other poets and literary men such as Graves, Owen and de Sola Pinto. Both on his own account, and for the reputation of poets, he wanted to prove himself a hero and did so in several gallant actions. But in seeking to protest against what he thought of as the excessive suffering of his men in an unduly prolonged war he allowed himself to be influenced by pacifists who had little respect for men in uniform and were disappointed that he did not provide publicity for their cause by going to prison.

Brian Bond, Survivors of a Kind: Memoirs of the Western Front (2008)

"The Hero" by Siegfried Sassoon, 1886–1967

"Jack fell as he'd have wished," the Mother said,
And folded up the letter that she'd read.
"The Colonel writes so nicely." Something broke
In the tired voice that quavered to a choke.
She half looked up. "We mothers are so proud
Of our dead soldiers." Then her face was bowed.

Quietly the Brother Officer went out.
He'd told the poor old dear some gallant lies
That she would nourish all her days, no doubt.
For while he coughed and mumbled, her weak eyes
Had shone with gentle triumph, brimmed with joy,
Because he'd been so brave, her glorious boy.

He thought how "Jack," cold-footed, useless swine,
Had panicked down the trench that night the mine
Went up at Wicked Corner; how he'd tried
To get sent home; and how, at last, he died,
Blown to small bits. And no one seemed to care
Except that lonely woman with white hair.

2 comments:

  1. Painful, insightful and compassionate all at the same time.
    Margaret Sydney Australia

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  2. The poem "The Hero" brings about reflections concerning the truth about war and how propaganda illusions families whose sons die on the battlefield. Where the stark reality is hidden. There's nothing romantic about dying on the battlefield. Sassoon's poem reflects this emotional and psychological burden of war. Where the thought of sacrifice and heroism is challenged.

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