One of my favourite poems, Incident of the French Camp is one of the earliest poems I read on Minstrels. It still brings a lump to my throat today….
Incident of the French Camp
You know, we French stormed Ratisbon:
A mile or so away
On a little mound, Napoleon
Stood on our storming-day;
With neck out-thrust, you fancy how,
Legs wide, arms locked behind,
As if to balance the prone brow
Oppressive with its mind.
Just as perhaps he mused, “My plans
That soar, to earth may fall,
Let once my army-leader Lannes
Waver a yonder wall,” —
Out ‘twixt the battery-smokes there flew
A rider, bound on bound
Full-galloping; nor bridle drew
Until he reached the mound.
Then off there flung in smiling joy,
And held himself erect
By just his horse’s mane, a boy:
You hardly could suspect —
(So tight he kept his lips compressed,
Scarce any blood came through)
You looked twice ere you saw his breast
Was all but shot in two.
“Well,” cried he, “Emperor, by God’s grace
We’ve got you Ratisbon!
The Marshal’s in the market-place,
And you’ll be there anon
To see your flag-bird flap his vans
Where I, to heart’s desire,
Perched him!” The chief’s eye flashed; his plans
Soared up again like fire.
The chief’s eye flashed; but presently
Softened itself, as sheathes
A film the mother-eagle’s eye
When her bruised eaglet breathes:
“You’re wounded!” “Nay”, the soldier’s pride
Touched to quick, he said:
“I’m killed, Sire!” And his chief beside,
Smiling the boy fell dead.
— Robert Browning
hariputtar says:
“I’m killed, Sire!” – mots juste.
an untimely, but glorious death.
August 16, 2004 — 3:18 pm
vasanth says:
i had this in school !! wonderful poem !
August 17, 2004 — 12:54 am
Lakshmi says:
My fav lines…
“You’re wounded!” “Nay”, the soldier’s pride
Touched to quick, he said:
“I’m killed, Sire!” And his chief beside,
Smiling the boy fell dead.
August 17, 2004 — 5:30 am
hariputtar says:
and interesting, and somewhat related take on imperialism (esp relevant in current world-scenario):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_mans_burden
Take up the White Man’s burden —
Send forth the best ye breed —
Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait, in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild —
Your new-caught sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child.
August 17, 2004 — 9:59 pm
99kanitas says:
was pretty shocked the first time i’d read it. had only finished Kim, then came across this.
August 17, 2004 — 11:44 pm
Lakshmi says:
Really? Why do you think it’s related?
August 18, 2004 — 5:37 am
hariputtar says:
i saw a common idea. the first poem:
⋅ either glorifies a young heroic death
⋅ or looks disapprovingly at the loss of a heroic heart, in a wasteful war.
the second poem:
⋅ exhorts the nation to send its best of the breed on to war
either way, the youth of a nation are being used to fuel the war-machines. the dreams of the generals are likely to have a short and not so useful life – if the future-best and future-brightest have to be sacrificed thus. (even if they survive the ordeal, who ever came back from a war mentally intact.)
⋅ the greek tragedy aspect and farcical circumstances around the death of Pat Tillman. sad though it is – it also is manipulative to glorify such deaths. (funny thing is – these same people point fingers at Kerry and say, *aw he did not do anything big. in fact he got bruised by his own bullet.* – well. whatever. he had the balls to step into the battlefield, and stay there for some time.)
⋅ indian army: a school friend had joined AFMC. he got his 3 yrs in kashmir / kargil as well. the situation is : most of *not-so-well-connected* NDA folks end up in insurgency areas. if they survive for their term of 3-4 yrs … they are rotated out. but so many die out there – since its their first posting, and their heroic bent of mind is not quite tempered by experience yet.
⋅ a south korean colleague recounts how army’s 3-4 yrs of compulsory service hurls into the orbit career plans, private life (relationships) of the youth. the service is typical taken right before college, or midway through it. and army uses the youth as cheap labor-resource, mostly.
[ i was a best cadet from my state in ncc in junior division. i attended republic day camp at delhi. and after that i almost joined the services – my parents prevented me with all their strength. and later i realized, why. for starters we dont even pay our soldiers well. and another schoolmate who went via NDA route – an amazing athelete and surely among the top 10 brains in our the batch – sometimes used to mention … how the well-connected got the best deals in the services. its a shame.]
August 18, 2004 — 8:07 am
Lakshmi says:
That’s awfully dismal… But I prefer to look at Browning’s poem as an example of valour and courage, as exemplified by a soldier. Your take is chillingly truthful… and depressing.
August 18, 2004 — 8:15 am
hariputtar says:
iit 1st sem : there was a poem, titled “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” …
August 18, 2004 — 8:33 am
99kanitas says:
Reminded me of the Knowlt Hoheimer’s poem in Spoon River Anthology, except your poem evokes empathy. This one’s just…
I was the first fruits of the battle of Missionary Ridge.
When I felt the bullet enter my heart
I wished I had staid at home and gone to jail
For stealing the hogs of Curl Trenary,
Instead of running away and joining the army.
Rather a thousand times the county jail
Than to lie under this marble figure with wings,
And this granite pedestal Bearing the words, “Pro Patria.”
What do they mean, anyway?
– Edgar Lee Masters
Have you seen Tea with Mussolini? pretty unrelated, only remembered because there’s a scene in it with Browning’s funeral and his widow.
August 17, 2004 — 11:42 pm
Lakshmi says:
Haven’t.. What’s it about?
August 18, 2004 — 5:37 am
99kanitas says:
about a group of old English women who take care of a young boy in 1930s Florence, and Cher pops in and out. very quaint. I think it’s the director’s autobiography.
August 18, 2004 — 9:44 am