Perspectives of a Colorado Curmudgeon on topics ranging from Basketball to Music to Science & Religion to Travel to Memories, touching on a bit of everything.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
DULCE ET DECORUM
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
From Homer [not Simpson] to Obama, this is one of the greatest of the deceptive and dangerous myths:
It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland.
Yes. The poem by Wilfred Owen ("Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags . . . ")is in the literature anthology provided the twelfth graders by our county school system. And the young woman holding the dog leash went to school here in West Virginia.
The Goshen College Men's Chorus directed by Scott Hochstetler performed the US Premier last Saturday night at the Sauder Concert Hall. Larry Nickel [b.1952] wrote the music to the poem by Owen [1893-1918]. Phil Stoesz recited the text prior to the "Dulce." Disturbing words.
Cuz - I am also aware of that quote - seems to be a favorite of our cousin Steve :-) We had a little back and forth about Patton in a previous post; I'll have to see if I can find it for you.
BrettSteph took the words out of my mouth. My Patton comments are in the Aug 7 post. This is the exact quote I paraphrased back then, "Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base." More Patton quotes can be found at: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_S._Patton
Shirley - it's quite amazing and impressive that your 12th graders are reading Owen's poem. I missed your reference to the you woman holding the dog leash......
Wilfred Owen, March 18, 1893 to November 4, 1918, was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War. He enlisted in the army and served as an officer, was wounded, returned to a hospital, and treated for shell shock. After recovering, he taught high school for awhile. Then, for some strange reason, he decided to return to the front, whereupon he was shot in the head and killed. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from Horace’s Odes. The line can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." The point of Owen’s poem is that Horace’s take is pure bullshit.
Yes. The poem by Wilfred Owen ("Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags . . . ")is in the literature anthology provided the twelfth graders by our county school system. And the young woman holding the dog leash went to school here in West
ReplyDeleteVirginia.
The Goshen College Men's Chorus directed by Scott Hochstetler performed the US Premier last Saturday night at the Sauder Concert Hall. Larry Nickel [b.1952] wrote the music to the poem by Owen [1893-1918]. Phil Stoesz recited the text prior to the "Dulce." Disturbing words.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a wee bit off topic, but...
ReplyDeleteIronically, I listened to to the General Patton quote recited by GC Scott in the movie today.
"There is no honor in dying for your country. The only honor is making the other poor bastard die for his."
Cuz - I am also aware of that quote - seems to be a favorite of our cousin Steve :-) We had a little back and forth about Patton in a previous post; I'll have to see if I can find it for you.
ReplyDeleteAlso BrettStep - get on that blog!!
ReplyDeleteBrett - it was "A Modest Proposal for Peace" last August in which there were some Patton-exchanges!
ReplyDeleteBrettSteph took the words out of my mouth. My Patton comments are in the Aug 7 post. This is the exact quote I paraphrased back then, "Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base." More Patton quotes can be found at: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_S._Patton
ReplyDeleteI stand by my comments on the August post - Patton was a certifiable lunatic and a moral midget. I suppose that makes for great military leaders.
ReplyDeleteShirley - it's quite amazing and impressive that your 12th graders are reading Owen's poem. I missed your reference to the you woman holding the dog leash......
ReplyDeleteWilfred Owen, March 18, 1893 to November 4, 1918, was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War. He enlisted in the army and served as an officer, was wounded, returned to a hospital, and treated for shell shock. After recovering, he taught high school for awhile. Then, for some strange reason, he decided to return to the front, whereupon he was shot in the head and killed.
ReplyDeleteDulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from Horace’s Odes. The line can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." The point of Owen’s poem is that Horace’s take is pure bullshit.
Thanks Bizzy - nice job.
ReplyDelete