Civil War Poetry Essay - 1571 Words

Civil War Poetry The American Civil War and the Spanish Civil War were primarily wars of principle. The conflicts represented a critical point for each respective nation, a time of either death or continuation for the countries. Both Whitman and Neruda exibit a key shared element in the poets works of the concept of a cosmic rebirth illustrated in their poetry through a celebration of the perpetual cycle of life and death fostering optimism. This mutual philosophy is manifested in Neruda and Whitmans poetry in several interesting ways. One of the most striking biographical parallels between the two poets originates from their direct involvement in civil war. Whitman served as a nurse in war hospitals during the American†¦show more content†¦In the section Arrival in Madrid of the International Brigade Neruda shows the troops from the international forces arriving in the desolate city of Madrid. This section mirrors Whitmans Drum Taps section of poetry Eighteen Sixty-On e which also focuses on the war as it is reaching a critical point of expansion. Centered on the time of most profound national crisis, the poets use the image of gathering soldiers to validate their cause. The solider becomes the embodiment of the poets war philosophies of reconstruction out of destruction. Neruda and Whitman concentrate on the soldiers sacrifice as requisite for societal salvation. Each poem reflects the desolation resulting from the beginning stages of the conflict and subsequently presents the gathering soldiers as a reason for hope. The sections begin submerged in the bleak solemnity of the turmoil of war. This represents a shift from the booming patriotism in the proceeding section in Drum Taps. Whitmans speaker shifts to a grave tone, lamenting the Armd year-year of struggle, / No dainty rhymes or sentimental love verses for you terrible year (lines 1-2). The terrible year is replete with the profound disintegration of societal structures as the order of the United States is destroyed. The gravity presented in Eighteen Sixty-One assumes a physical manifestation in Arrival in Madrid as Neruda observes the completely devastatedShow MoreRelatedWhitm War Changes A Society1287 Words   |  6 PagesWhitman: War Changes a Society Walt Whitman, a great American poet to be compared to Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe, exists at the heart of American culture. Whitman’s work has not lost its appeal because it still applies to America in the new millennia; America is still deeply troubled by issues of division, hypocrisy, and racism—much unlike the America of inclusion and forbearance Whitman envisioned for American in Leaves of Grass. Although Leaves of Grass is often considered Whitman’s mostRead MoreWalt Whitman and Drumtaps Essays870 Words   |  4 PagesWalt Whitman and Drumtaps War is hell; there is no other way to put it. 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