Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Seven Laments for the War-Dead: 3" by Yehuda Amichai continues the poet's reflection on the costs and commemorations of war. This particular segment of the series focuses on war memorials, using vivid and somewhat ironic imagery to comment on how societies remember their fallen soldiers.

The poem opens with a reference to "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier / across there. On the enemy's side." This points to the universal nature of such memorials, found in all countries, regardless of their roles in conflicts. The mention of it being a "good landmark / for gunners of the future" is deeply ironic and chilling. It suggests that these memorials, meant to symbolize peace and remembrance, could ironically serve as markers in future conflicts, perpetuating the cycle of war.

Amichai then shifts the setting to London's war monument at Hyde Park Corner, describing it with metaphors typically associated with celebration or festivity, such as "decorated / like a magnificent cake." This juxtaposition of a war memorial with the imagery of a cake is striking and somewhat surreal. It underscores the idea of glorification and perhaps the trivialization of war in public memory.

The description of the monument includes typical elements of such memorials - "another soldier / lifting head and rifle, / another cannon, another eagle, another / stone angel" - emphasizing their formulaic and repetitive nature. The "whipped cream of a huge marble flag / poured over it all / with an expert hand" further extends the metaphor, suggesting that the grandeur and pomp of these memorials can overshadow the individual tragedies they are meant to commemorate.

The final lines, "But the candied, much-too-red cherries / were already gobbled up / by the glutton of hearts. Amen," are particularly poignant. The "much-too-red cherries" can be seen as a symbol of the lives lost in war, their vivid color reminiscent of blood. The fact that these cherries were "gobbled up / by the glutton of hearts" might represent how quickly societies consume, forget, or become desensitized to the sacrifices of war. The closing "Amen" serves as a solemn acknowledgment of this sad reality.

Through this poem, Amichai critiques the way societies remember and sometimes glamorize war through memorials. He points to the irony and tragedy inherent in commemorating something as destructive as war in a manner that sometimes seems almost celebratory or ornamental.