Poetry on the radio

[eurobantam]

I know its not everyone's bag but for rememberence week Radio 3 are broadcasting the War poems of Wilfred Owen every day at 2.00 pm, repeated at 11.45 pm. My favourites are Anthem for Doomed Youth and Disabled.

[B_i_N]

Of course a lot of people think poetry is dead boring, but Wilfred Owen's poetry really does manage to capture the true horror of what it must have been like to be a soldier in the trenches during the first world war. His words are very vivid and haunting. It's not surprising that the authorities tried to ban his writings at the time.

One of my favourite's by him is the one below. Imagine being stuck in the trenches when the enemy attacked with gas.


DULCE ET DECORUM EST

"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime ...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, -
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori."

[Superfatbantam]

Poetry is not dead boring to me. Thanks for the advert, Simon. I just wish I spent more time writing the stuff - rat-race takes over sometimes and we lose that little spark of creativity or the energy to reflect.

Brooke's "Soldier" and Owen's "Anthem for Doomed Youth" were the first poems I did at school in English Lit and I was hooked.

[wykie]

Strange I read this as a boy and always remember this line which I thought was the poems title.
"Gas!7 Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, "

[eurobantam]

I caught most of them and thought they were very good readings, the readers voice seemed just right to me; a mixture of despair and contempt really came through.

They are all availble on R3's l;isten again facility.@
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/

I know there had been a lot discussion elsewhere on this board about the BBC and the license fee but I cant think that a commercial station would produce such a program.

[Rambo]

Of course a lot of people think poetry is dead boring, but Wilfred Owen's poetry really does manage to capture the true horror of what it must have been like to be a soldier in the trenches during the first world war. His words are very vivid and haunting. It's not surprising that the authorities tried to ban his writings at the time.

One of my favourite's by him is the one below. Imagine being stuck in the trenches when the enemy attacked with gas.


DULCE ET DECORUM EST

"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime ...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, -
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori."


Thanks for that B_I_N!

I studied Dulce et Decorum Est at school and thought it was a very different take on the war.

I couldnt remember what its name was and it was annoying me. I shall sleep this evening now

[Garlic Breath]

Who the hell keeps removing my post saying men read Viz and girls read Poems....please enlighten me as too why that is not allowed because I'm fucked if I know.
Am I not allowed an opinion on this matter....or am I if it fits in.:rolleyes: ...yeh I should have guessed ...this is www.followlikesicophantsheep.com aint it?

[baldbantam]

It's a thread which is showing respect to the war dead. Believe it or not, we don't feel such posts are appropriate.

[Garlic Breath]

Funny I thought it was a thread about Poetry and opinions associated with such.:confused:
Sorry if I missed the huge heading "This thread is about honouring war dead and nothing else"....I must learn to take more notice in future Sir.:rolleyes:

[baldbantam]

If you want to treat us to your opinions on poetry in general feel free to start a new thread.

[Garlic Breath]

I might just do that.......if its ok with you Sir:)