Poetry in History

Poetry in History

During the course of my undergraduate degree, I had the unique opportunity to take a course that directly made connections between my subjects of interest; History and English. As a result, I was exposed to numerous works of writing related to historical content, many of these works being poetry. In fact, I have a whole book dedicated to the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon, an English poet who fought in the First World War and wrote about these experiences. In his poetry, Sassoon describes the experiences of war; the horror in the trenches, the relationships between soldiers, and the tragedies of wartime. One poem I found particularly engaging, was “A Letter Home (To Robert Graves).”

A Letter Home (To Robert Graves)

I

Here I'm sitting in the gloom
Of my quiet attic room.
France goes rolling all around,
Fledged with forest May has crowned.
And I puff my pipe, calm-hearted,
Thinking how the fighting started,
Wondering when we'll ever end it,
Back to hell with Kaiser sent it,
Gag the noise, pack up and go,
Clockwork soldiers in a row.
I've got better things to do
Than to waste my time on you.

II

Robert, when I drowse to-night,
Skirting lawns of sleep to chase
Shifting dreams in mazy light,
Somewhere then I'll see your face
Turning back to bid me follow
Where I wag my arms and hollo,
Over hedges hasting after
Crooked smile and baffling laughter,
Running tireless, floating, leaping,
Down your web-hung woods and valleys,
Where the glowworm stars are peeping,
Till I find you, quiet as stone
On a hill-top all alone,
Staring outward, gravely pondering
Jumbled leagues of hillock-wandering.

III

You and I have walked together
In the starving winter weather.
We've been glad because we knew
Time's too short and friends are few.
We've been sad because we missed
One whose yellow head was kissed
By the gods, who thought about him
Till they couldn't do without him.
Now he's here again; I've been
Soldier David dressed in green,
Standing in a wood that swings
To the madrigal he sings.
He's come back, all mirth and glory,
Like the prince in a fairy tory.
Winter called him far away;
Blossoms bring him home with May.

IV

Well, I know you'll swear it's true
That you found him decked in blue
Striding up through morning-land
With a cloud on either hand.
Out in Wales, you'll say, he marches
Arm-in-arm with aoks and larches;
Hides all night in hilly nooks,
Laughs at dawn in tumbling brooks.
Yet, it's certain, here he teaches
Outpost-schemes to groups of beeches.
And I'm sure, as here I stand,
That he shines through every land,
That he sings in every place
Where we're thinking of his face.

V

Robert, there's a war in France;
Everywhere men bang and blunder,
Sweat and swear and worship Chance,
Creep and blink through cannon thunder.
Rifles crack and bullets flick,
Sing and hum like hornet-swarms.
Bones are smashed and buried quick.
Yet, through stunning battle storms,
All the while I watch the spark
Lit to guide me; for I know
Dreams will triumph, though the dark
Scowls above me where I go.
You can hear me; you can mingle
Radiant folly with my jingle.
War's a joke for me and you
While we know such dreams are true!

The poem is touching through its discussion of the nature of war because of its personal nature. The descriptions of the tragedies and terrors associated with war are explicit and emotion shines through. To me, poetry is all about emotion. By bringing emotion into the study of history, especially life during wartime, this history can come alive for the students in the classroom. As this particular poem was written by an actual soldier fighting in the First World War, students can truly gain an understanding of the nature of life during wartime. The use of poetry can not only increase understanding of historical content but also improve engagement amongst students. By giving our students the opportunity to connect to content on a more personal level the opportunity for learning is amplified and the study of history becomes a more enjoyable process for all involved.