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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Eastward the Armies" by William Everson, written in the spring of 1942, captures the atmosphere of a world engulfed in the throes of the Second World War. Through evocative language and powerful imagery, Everson conveys the sense of imminent threat and the pervasive sense of doom brought about by the conflict. The poem reflects on the impact of war, not just on the physical landscape but also on the collective human psyche. The opening lines, "Eastward the armies; / The rumorous dawns seep with the messages of invasion," immediately establish a scene of impending violence and chaos. The use of the word "rumorous" suggests a tension-filled anticipation, where the very air seems laden with the threat of invasion. This sense of an unstoppable force "loosed in release" conveys the release of pent-up aggression, indicating a breakdown of restraint that leads to widespread devastation. Everson's description of the geographic spread of the conflict, from the South to "the domed and frozen North," emphasizes the global scale of the war. The armies "grope through the hills to the hooded passes," a line that evokes the image of blind, relentless movement towards destruction. The encounters in "the blue and bitter dawns" that "break up in the snow" depict the futility and desolation of war, where the natural beauty of the world becomes a backdrop for human violence. The shift to the West, with its "war, war," "lines down," "borders broken," and cities awaiting their end, reinforces the sense of widespread upheaval. The imagery of isolation and the breaking of connections between communities underscore the fragmenting impact of war on the social fabric. The poem then brings the war's immediacy to the personal level, with the "surly sound of the wedge-winged planes" invading the speaker's sense of peace. The description of the planes, with their "anger brooding and breaking across the fields," personifies the machines of war as carriers of destruction, indifferent to the life below. The characterization of those within as "ignorant, snug in their bumbling idiot dream" critiques the blindness and complacency that can lead to such massive human conflict. Everson's use of "Unconscious of tact, / Unconscious of love and its merciful uses" laments the loss of humanity and compassion in times of war. The closing lines, "Warped in its error, / And sprawled in exhaustion behind them," suggest a critical view of the war's justifications and the weary aftermath that follows the relentless pursuit of conflict. "Eastward the Armies" is a poignant reflection on the nature of war and its effects on the world and humanity. Written during a time of global conflict, Everson's poem remains a powerful commentary on the cyclical nature of war, the loss of innocence, and the enduring hope for peace amidst the ruins of violence.
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