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Poet: Hayden Carruth
Poem: On Being Asked To Write A Poem Against The War In Vietnam
Poem of the Day:
Aug 2 2007
Comment 1 of 1, added on November 9th, 2009 at 6:04 PM.
On a first reading it might appear that this a pessimistic poem about what poetry can't do, rather than what it can. It's really powerful and menacing and leaves you with a sense of futility. Until you ask yourself what it is poetry can be expected to do- of course death still smirks. In itself a poem is nothing. It's what it does to us that counts. It is we who can stop wars- not the poem.
linda mcmahon from United Kingdom
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Comments
On a first reading it might appear that this a pessimistic poem about what poetry can't do, rather than what it can. It's really powerful and menacing and leaves you with a sense of futility. Until you ask yourself what it is poetry can be expected to do- of course death still smirks. In itself a poem is nothing. It's what it does to us that counts. It is we who can stop wars- not the poem.
linda mcmahon from United Kingdom