20thc wk2 entry
Over the first two weeks of class for this semester the poem that has left the greatest impression on me is ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ (It is sweet and decorous to die for one’s country) by Wilfred Owen p1974. I have found myself thinking about it several times over the past two weeks for a few different reasons and ways.
The very direct and shocking language, and the portrayal of the soldier’s terrible, painful breathless death is in opposition to the poem’s title which is an example of the type of propaganda, and the general social belief that was going on at the time. In fact this sort of propaganda still goes on. Anyone who has been to an ANZAC dawn service at an Army Barracks would have experienced this. I feel from talking with many service people that the majority of them are aware of the irony that the inbuilt system-the blanket honouring of tradition and ones country, presents, yet they still believe in the value of protecting their country and those they love. This is expressed in Rupert Brooke’s ‘The Soldier’ p1954, the language being accessible and beautiful presents the reader with a much more romanticised view of dying for one’s country.
Last week I was at an army barracks waiting for my husband, who is a soldier. There was a poster displayed in an office window.
It said-
“Journalists didn’t give you freedom of speech, soldiers did.
Politicians didn’t give you democracy, soldiers did.”
There were a couple more with the same type of sentiment that I can’t recall.
My husband walked over to me and said “What’s that, a bit of grunt (infantry soldier) propaganda?”
So he, like the majority of service people are aware of the way language is used to coerce and mould in the Defence Forces. And he, like the majority of service people are part of these services not because they desire to kill, maim or torture enemy soldiers and innocent civilians but because they actually want to help people, because they want to be a part of something that helps to protect the innocent and the oppressed. Thankfully the Australian Defence Force’s are engaged primarily in situations where they can do this, with dignity and respect for the people they protect.
In saying all that there are some complete dickheads about, unfortunately for the Defence Force’s these are the people that make good news headlines, and create a bad image of the group as a whole.
This is my husband Rohin leaving for deployment recently in The Soloman Islands