All Comments on 'A Short Ballad on the Life of Billy'

Rise of al-Qaeda ...........it never stops ................

5-ed .

I like this a great deal as a poem. My problem with the poem is its facile stance.

Ask yourself this. If this represented the view of a significant proportion of British soldiers, how is it that the British Army – the most amateur of all the major armies, with a huge preponderance of volunteers and conscripts, including a large number of Irish (remember what else happened in 1916) – never had a single mutiny in the line throughout the war. Every one of the others did (I do not count the Americans who were just in for the last year)?

Yes there was a mutiny in a training camp way behind the lines but that was against the brutal stupidity of the military police who themselves went nowhere near the front. Essentially it would have been hard to mutiny against officers who consistently put your life and welfare before their own and were themselves dying far faster than you were.

From what I have been able to glean, yes there was a lot of bitterness, some at the generals, some at the naive views of people back home. I understand there also was a huge sense of comradeship. In particular, the officer corps (again not professional) had an enormous sense of obligation towards the men – even to this day it is drummed in that an officer does not eat until he has seen that his men have been fed. A small point but it says a lot. I once read a letter home from a great uncle of mine, written shortly before he was killed in that war. It was full of concern for the people back home with a cheerfulness that was caring in its intent. The letter, written long after the horrors of war would have become only too apparent, was foolish to our modern eyes. Similarly the term ‘chums’ appears ridiculous to us but it only shows that the vernacular has moved on – nothing more.

Of the war poets, Siegfried Sassoon was decorated for bravery then refused to fight as a protest and was court-martialled. He subsequently went back to the front. Think what the issues might have been that caused him, with his eyes wide open now, to go back.

We tend to view the officers then as caricatures – fools basically - with much the same uncaring attitudes and worth of today’s well to do and wealthy. The facts do not support this.

The poem would have been far better if it had dealt more fully with the complexity of the actual feelings and attitudes of that day rather than taking this simplistic approach. It would then also have shed a clearer light on our own dilemmas today.

I really envy the ease and naturalness of your rhyming, and understand where you are going with the story. Clearday makes excellent points about the Brits during the war and their dedication. They have a magnificent history of dedication and willingness to die for the crown. But I thought you were going toward the political side, more than the general officer corps.

Question the veracity of the sarcasm here:

"The war to end all wars was just

another goddam lie"

I believe it was not viewed that way by the Brits, and that would have been post Armistice disillusionment, anyway.

Although the view I suggested may be in the minority, it was not uncommon in my readings about WWI. I certainly meant no offense to British patriotism, regret any allusion suggesting that, and, if found, would otherwise modify the poem or ask it to be deleted by the editors. I apologize to my Lit friends across the pond if they read it as such.

Briefly, I believe Imperialsim and so-called diplomacy reached a point of absurdity for self-interest. That the assassination of someone and his wife triggered a war in which millions of lives were lost is beyond comprehension to me.

However, I'm as interested in the ballad form itself. ClearDayNow's comments were spot on in calling it simplistic. In retrospect, "A Short Ballad..." Is an oxymoron when I think of Wilde's "Reading Gaol" or "Song of Rolande." I think the only reason why Pound's short "Ballad of the Goodly Fère" works is because chose Christ about whom there is so much known that reader extends the images of the poem to complete the narrative according to his needs.

Anyway, this was my "ah ha" from the comments as a poet. Perhaps I'll incorporate some more of the historical components of the whys and wherefores of WWI suggested here, both in the smoke filled rooms and in the trenches, in a longer ballad sometime in the future. Thanks for the helpful comments.

My comment was uncalled for and inappropriate. I should have thought before submitting. I am sorry for the offence it caused.

This is doubly so as GM is so courteous and considerate in his commenting.

I do believe the points I made are important for our own current world situation but it was the wrong place and way to make them.

I would like to add that I would not term what kept those men going then (and again eleven years later) as patriotism.

I agree with you GM. It is interesting how the historical treatment of the Assassination of Franz Ferdinand (google) in treated in Bosnia.

But the propaganda goals of Woodie's grand entrance would not have been exposed as foolishness until Versailles.

So will refrain from commenting too much about content coz I flat out don't know enough about it.

What I did get was worthy of 5 because the write is so good in terms of rhyme and structure.