In the context of events elsewhere, my
thoughts turn to Auden’s statement, made in 1939, that ‘Poetry makes nothing happen’. Leaving aside the potential layers of nuance that
we could read into his statement (e.g. whether he’s implying that it shouldn’t
have to do so), it’s an important point of departure for any discussion of the
relationship of poetry to war.
Like any theme, poets (and by
extension, readers) can meet it head-on, in political and moral terms, or they
can come at it aslant. Both approaches are valid, of course, but I personally
prefer to find emotional refuge in poems that at first glace seem to have
nothing to do with war.
At first, in the opening days of the
war, I felt guilty and self-indulgent for admitting this to myself, for sharing poems on Twitter
that appeared far removed from the context of Ukraine. However, as these poems lent
me their support, I realised that reading them wasn’t an act of cowardice, nor was
it turning the other cheek.
Instead, by treasuring the human
significance and ramifications of simple, everyday acts, we implicitly
celebrate love, which is the counterpoint to war. And therein lies one of the
key roles that poetry can play in our lives, reminding us of what makes us who
we are, of the values that keep us sane and might just lead us out of this mess.
If poetry helps us keep our humanity
in the face of evil, its importance is beyond doubt.
The sad news that Jürgen Becker (1932-2024) died recently at the age of 92
was particularly poignant as I have been translating his work for the past
3 yea...
Eloquently expressed, Matthew. Your two concluding paragraphs will resonate with, and speak for, many.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Caroline! Poetry's got an important role to play in society, even if it's often sidelined...
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