Summary
Highlights
The video introduces Cecil Day-Lewis's poem "Will it be so again," reminding viewers to engage with the poem personally. It provides background on Day-Lewis as an Irish poet, novelist, and critic, highlighting his political shift from communism to advocating against the negative impacts of capitalism, fascism, and war. The poem itself focuses on the futility and stupidity of war and its societal impact. Day-Lewis was appointed Poet Laureate of Britain in 1968.
The poem "Will it be so again" is read in full. It is presented as a powerful anti-war poem that reflects on human nature's tendency to repeat cycles of war, where young men die for the benefit of 'lunatic men' or politicians. The poem critiques the superficial peace that often precedes further conflict, emphasizing Day-Lewis's anti-war stance, influenced by living through the World Wars.
The poem consists of five quatrains, each framed by rhetorical questions, emphasizing the central theme of recurring war from different perspectives. Enjambment quickens the pace, highlighting the speaker's frustration. The harsh rhythm and rhyme reflect the speaker's bitter tone. The poem's intention is to urge future generations to question war, seek sustainable solutions, and hold leaders accountable for their promises, particularly regarding peace.
The first stanza questions whether "the brave, the gifted" will again be lost while "empty scheming men" remain to renew their "lunatic age." The rhetorical question implies past occurrences. "Again" is repeated six times in the poem. The speaker praises the brave and gifted soldiers, who had promising futures, then contrasts them with the "empty scheming men" (politicians) who benefit from war without personal sacrifice. These leaders, described with strong, harsh diction, perpetuate the cycle because they don't face the consequences.
This stanza asks, "Must it always be so that the best are chosen to fall and sleep like seeds?" The word "must" implies necessity and obligation. "Always" suggests a lack of learning from past mistakes. The soldiers are glorified as "the best," and their death is a metaphor for sleep. The phrase "chosen to fall" suggests external selection, like a draft, where young men are sent to die. The simile of soldiers as "seeds" that "quicken the Earth" suggests their sacrifice could lead to a new world, but humanity is "too slow in claiming the Earth." "Old usurpers" (power-hungry politicians) reap benefits they did not sow, nullifying the soldiers' sacrifices.
This stanza returns to the question, "Will it be so again?" referring to the "jungle code" and "hypocrite gesture." "Jungle code" implies brutality and survival of the fittest, but "hypocrite gesture" reveals that the 'fittest' are those who manipulate politics. A "poppy wreath for the slain" is contrasted with a "Cutthroat world for the living," suggesting that tributes are superficial while conditions for survivors remain harsh. The "stale imposture" refers to the old, deceptive acts and lies played by politicians, where citizens are tricked into believing promises of peace that are never fulfilled, thus perpetuating the war cycle.
The question changes to "Will it be as before?" referring to superficial peace that lacks "heart or mind to ensure it." This temporary peace "guttering down to war" is likened to a libertine going to his grave, emphasizing the inevitability of war when leaders are not held accountable. The poet highlights that politicians' self-serving agendas funnel society towards conflict, but it is the common people, not the leaders, who face the fatal consequences. The phrase "we should not be surprised, we knew it happened before" reflects humankind's failure to learn from past errors.
The final stanza poses, "Shall it be so again?" and urges, "call not upon the Glorious dead to be your Witnesses." The dead cannot testify or guarantee peace, as they have already been sacrificed. It is "the living alone" who must "nail to their promise the ones who said it shall not be so again." This is a powerful call to action for the living to hold politicians accountable and demand lasting peace. The poem concludes by transforming the initial question into a resolute statement: "it shall not be so again," emphasizing the poet's belief in preventing war through collective action. The video concludes by relating the poem to Franklin Roosevelt's quote, "War is young men dying and old men talking."