My 1st paper for American Lit. class this semester. Conflicts occur between groups of people over numerous reasons, leading to warfare, an inevitable part of human civilization. For soldiers, nurses, and loved ones left behind, being involved in war is a major concern. Walt Whitman's three poems "Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night," "The Wound Dresser," "A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown," and Stephen Crane's "From War is Kind" are poems describing the true nature of war. War is known for death, damage, pain, and loss for all those involved, but being part of the battle is thought of as glorious, honorable, and brave. Most importantly, war definitely leaves a lasting effect on everyone involved that may not be recovered from. This can be seen in images and memories that come up during and after war. For example, in Whitman's "Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night," the pain that a soldier is going through after seeing his son and comrade fall is apparent. Whitman writes, "One look I but gave which your dear eyes returne'd with a look I shall never forget" (3). The soldier buries the dead, but knows the scene will always stay in his memories and won't be forgotten. Memories such as these will be cherished by those who lost someone close. Additionally, in "Vigil Strange," Whitman writes of how the soldier hopes to see his dead comrade again: "I faithfully loved you and cared for you living, I think we shall meet again" (17). The soldier in this poem may recover if he holds on to the hope of reuniting with his dead comrade. Memories and vivid images of lost lives keep the thoughts fresh in mind that makes it hard to forget and recover from war.
Furthermore, there are psychological, emotional, and physical effects of war. Physical pain described in Whitman's "The Wound Dresser" includes: "the crush'd head" (40), "the neck of the cavalry-man with the bullet through" (41), and "from the stump of the arm, the amputated hand" (45). Surviving through physical damage, such as these makes it impossible to return home unaffected by war and will be a hard recovery. Life will be dramatically different. Also, one may become sensitive and look at things differently upon return. The physical damage done to soldiers makes war synonymous with death and even loss of innocence of young fighters, such as the dead boy in "Vigil Strange"(Whitman 16). The fact that in "Vigil Strange" "not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh" (Whitman 11), gives the impression that death is common and soldiers are use to it. In Crane's "From War is Kind", the repetition of "a field where a thousand corpses lie" (11 and 22), makes the point of expected death in war realistic. This is emphasized in Whitman's "A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown" as well when he writes, "The crowd, O the crowd of the bloody forms of soldiers..." (16). No one can deny that war equals death for many.
The psychological and emotional effects of war is seen in the ones left behind in Whitman and Crane's poem. In "From War is Kind," the narrator of the poem says, "Do not weep, maiden" (Crane 1), "Do not weep, babe" (12), and "Mother whose heart hung humble… do not weep. War is kind" (23-26). These women who stayed behind while seeing their men go fight cannot help but feel sad. The soldier in "Vigil Strange" is also upset when he comes to the conclusion that his dead comrade will not respond. The narrator says, "Found your body son of responding kisses, (never again on earth responding)" (Whitman 7-8) is repeated twice (Whitman 23), which shows this emotional pain at the loss.
Soldiers and nurses carry a lot of pressure on their shoulders more than can be handled both during and after war. For example, in battle, soldiers and nurses may try to comfort and support the wounded who are going through tough situations. In "The Wound Dresser," the narrator says, "To sit by the wounded and soothe them" (Whitman 6). Not only do soldiers and nurses need to protect themselves, but they also have to look out for other soldiers.
Likewise, the guilt of not being able to save a life is also a heavy burden to be carried throughout one's life. Again in "The Wound Dresser", the narrator says, "One turns to me his appealing eyes- poor boy! I never knew you/ Yet I think I could not refuse this moment to die for you, if that would save you" (Whitman 37-38). The nurse in this poem would have done anything to have saved a life rather than live with the thought of seeing a young boy die. In "A March in the Ranks", another boy is in danger of dying. "A soldier, a mere lad, in danger of bleeding to death/ I staunch the blood temporarily" (Whitman 11-12). The narrator here does what he can to prolong another life.
Finally, many people argue that soldiers are needed for defense, but all the death and damage is not worth the price paid. Yet some people, usually men, would do anything in the name of "glory," "honor," "heroic," and "bravery". Whitman's poem describes soldiers in high esteem. In "Vigil Strange", the soldier calls the dead boy "brave" (Whitman 16). This is also said in "The Wound Dresser": "Of unsurpass'd heroes, (was one side brave? the other was equally brave) (Whitman 8). These dead soldiers are being called brave and heroes once they are dead.
Crane's poem is also filled with descriptions of men who "live to die" such as, "Little souls who thirst for fight/ These men were born to drill and die/ The unexplained glory flies above them" (7-9). Crane doesn’t stop there. Killing is seen as a good thing in his following lines: These men were born to drill and die/ Point for them the virtue of slaughter/ Make plain to them the excellence of killing" (Crane 19-21). According to Crane, men were born to take part in war, kill others, and die.
Crane and Whitman's poems help readers get a better understanding of war, one from the perspective of a nurse, Whitman, and another who was attracted and obsessed with war and violence, Crane. Whitman's three poems described the gruesome nature of death, damage, pain, and loss for all those involved. Both he and Crane also spoke of how being part of the battle is thought of as glorious, honorable, and brave. The overall theme of these poems is the destruction of war. This is the reality compared to the “glory” many associate to fighting in any battle. In society today where war is common, one must carefully consider all the factors mentioned before joining any battle. After all, the experience of killing humans will be stuck in one's conscience forever and may never be fully recoverable.
Works Cited
Crane, Stephen. "From War is Kind." The Norton Anthology: American Literature 1865-1914. Ed. Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 1007-1008. Print.
Whitman, Walt. “A March in the Ranks Hard-Prest, and the Road Unknown.” Online.
---. “The Wound Dresser.” The Norton Anthology: American Literature 1865-1914. Ed. Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 77-79. Print.
---. “Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night.” The Norton Anthology: American Literature 1865-1914. Ed. Nina Baym and Robert S. Levine. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 76-77. Print.
by Lorenzo Carcaterra, then click the title.