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Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Stephen Crane - "War Is Kind"
Remember: your comment can respond directly to other students' posts on this text. The goal of this forum is to offer an opportunity for intelligent dialogue related to the works we are studying in class. Respectful debate is always welcome.
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Today in class we started to analyze this poem but never really got to the point. What exactly does Crane mean when he says that "war is kind"? Is he actually talking about war, or is he referring to the death that comes from war. Is war the kind thing, or is the death that comes from war the thing that is "kind"? I think that he may be reffering to the death that comes with war but not actually war itself, that is why he only talks about the death in war instead of the victory or fighting in it that is "kind". Would he be trying to convince the maiden that war is kind if her lover had not died?
ReplyDeleteI think when he says war he means war. I think this poem is both trying to comfort the families of the dead and somhow justify war. in stanzas 2 and 4 it glorifies war and talks about the "battle God". We talked in class about when it says "drill and die" that seems to be 1 purpose for man. My question is how would this be comforting of the families, or justifying war in any way?
ReplyDeleteMatt i agree i think the important thing to do is find out what he was refering to as kind. Ialso agree that he was refering to death. Im not sure about Crane's opinion on the afterlife but maybe if he doesnt believe in one then he sees it as the solution to all of mans problems on earth, and therefore kind. Thats what i was wondering when i first read the poem. Maybe he thinks that the maiden or motherwould be glad to hear that thier loved ones that he doesnt have to worry anymore.
ReplyDeleteMatt i think that Stephen Crane is talking about war itself, not necessarily the death that comes from war. The actual battles that occur as a result of war are not the actual things that are kind either, but it is the actual intensions that cause war. Most wars are created for a positive reason, such as creating peace, but unfortunately all wars usualy end in deaths and disapointments. My question is if war is almost certain to end with death and disapointments, then how can war ever be seen as a good alternative to obtaining peace?
ReplyDeleteCorey, I think that saying that most wars are created for a good reason such as peace is a very tough assertion to maintain. In fact I would say that hardly ever is war waged for good intentions, and even when it is to preserve the peace it is only then a response another nations ill intentions. I think that this poem addresses that problem and is a critique of the way that cultures have glorified wars and consider death in battle to be something of virtue and something that is better than being part of a family as a father, son or husband. My question is what is it that as a people we have always found glorious or valient or impressive about war?
ReplyDeleteI think that when Crane says "war is kind", he is talking about the death that comes from war as well. War is kind only once it kills you because you don't have to suffer anymore. If the maiden's lover had not died, he may not be trying to convince her that war is kind, because she would not have as strong feelings towards war being unkind. What does it mean when he says "mother whose heart hung humble as a button, on the bright splendid shroud of your son"? It may mean that her heart was hanging on to her son's life and once he died, her heart was no longer held together.
ReplyDeleteI believe Crane means the exact opposite of what he is saying in this poem. Knowing Crane and what he stood for I cannot rightly think that he would write a poem explaining the kindness of war. Maybe he is using elements of satire here but, I think he just wrote something and he believes the exact opposite of what he wrote. The stories of fathers, sons, and lovers dying do not make me think that war is kind. It is kind neither to those close to the people who die, nor the men who die. My question is why would Crane do this?
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with Peter's take on this poem. In the stanzas where the poem is directed to the fallen soldier's family members, his death is not described lightly. It is described in a brutal manner that should not be told to the soldier's family. I believe Crane was being sarcastic when saying that war is kind because he was describing the gruesome way a father, husband, and son died and yet no way glorified his brave actions to his family. If he was trying to comfort the family, I imagine he would have told them that he fought bravely and not have said the exact way he died. What I want to know is who is the battle-god Crane is talking to? Is it actually God and Crane is once again being sarcastic saying that it is good to die and to kill? Is he trying to say that God is malevolent and enjoys people killing one another?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Crane poses the idea in this poem that war is kind but to those who do not take part of it, who are the civilians. This poem states that these men who have died should be honored and brought glory fot their duty to their flag, which is the symbol of and nations pride. Through this peom Crane makes certain statement about the position a soldier holds, and says that these men were born to die. These men who were born to drill and die fulfill their duty in full by dying for the country they fight for. Knowning this these men were able to fulfill their duty and should be brought honor and glory from the people who are alive, the people who the stroy is addressed to. The audience, the people who take no part of the war, are the people Crane is attempting to show that war is kind and that these men have fulfilled their duties in fighting for them. These are the people who can trully honor the dead men's sacrifice which, I believe is the goal of this peom. In this peom why is Crane attempting to solace an audience mourning for their dead.
ReplyDeleteCrane seems to be very cynical, he writes this poem as though he doesn't respect life nearly as much as he should. It definitely shows how pessimistic Crane is about life. I believe that he does not think life as much of a purpose, so by going to war atleast something is being accomplished with living. This makes me wonder what happened in his life that makes Crane so pessimistic.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this poem a few times, I realized that Crane's poem is ironic and is meant to be read from the perspective of a sarcastic person. In this poem, Crane shows his distaste for war by having the speaker say that it is kind. He portrays the speaker as a comforter to the maidens and mothers, but also uses deep descriptions of the deaths of their husbands and brothers. It seems that in some wierd way he is trying to make the mothers and maidens feel pain and remember the deaths of their loved ones. That's when I realized he is being sarcastic. The speaker is saying that war is not kind and death brings honor to the families, but truly only brings pain to the maidens and mothers. My question is; why would Crane want to write a poem about war that is sarcastic and doesn't show any respect for those effected by war?
ReplyDelete