Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Ezra Pound's "War Song," attributed to Bertrand de Born, the celebration of warfare and the martial spirit serves as a challenging exploration of values that may seem counterintuitive, or even unsettling, to contemporary readers. The poem gleefully lists the aspects of warfare that bring joy to the speaker, presenting a world where violence and battle are not only inevitable but also desirable. Its unabashed celebration of war and combat makes it a stark contrast to the majority of modern poems that deal with the subject of warfare, which often lament the loss and suffering it causes. Yet, this work offers an invaluable historical and psychological snapshot into a time and a mindset where warfare was considered the ultimate test of valor and nobility.

The poem opens with a tranquil scene, celebrating "the sweet time of Easter," and its power to bring forth "leaf and flower." This peaceful beginning soon shifts as the speaker reveals that his joy is also derived from seeing "knights armed and horses arrayed" across the meadows. The inclusion of spring and Easter, traditionally associated with renewal and rebirth, adds a layer of irony when juxtaposed with the imminent destruction and chaos of war. The text thereby suggests a cyclical view of life and death, where destruction is as natural and revitalizing as the changing of seasons.

The joy found in the tactical aspects of war-scouts setting people to flight, besieged castles, and armed men-is expressed with unapologetic enthusiasm. This is not a grim business but rather an exhilarating endeavor, a game of strategy that enlivens the spirit. Every detail "pleaseth" the speaker, from the breaking of barriers to the sight of a battlefield enclosed with ditches and strong piles. The explicit pleasure derived from these scenes interrogates our assumptions about the human experience of war, demanding a reevaluation of the binaries we often use to categorize such experiences-pleasure/pain, good/evil, civilization/barbarity.

The final lines of the poem concentrate on individual valor, emphasizing the importance of being "first to attack, fearless," and encouraging others through "valiant vassalage." In this world, a man gains worth through his participation in battle, "till he has taken and given many a blow." Such a view aligns with the feudal culture of knightly chivalry, where martial prowess was the measure of a man's worth.

"War Song" does not fit easily into contemporary conceptions of war as tragic, destructive, or morally questionable. It does not concern itself with the ethics of warfare, but rather with the aesthetics and the feelings of aliveness and valor that it can evoke. This poem invites us to look at war through a different lens, to step into the historical and cultural context in which it was created, and to question the evolution of our collective feelings towards this most devastating and enduring of human activities. Whether we find its sentiments uncomfortable or not, the poem serves as a powerful reminder that the ways in which we view warfare are far from universal, molded by culture, history, and individual experience.

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