Protest Poetry

A morning of 'Protest Poetry' in the Burgage Hall in Church Lane and again I am surrounded my history. If you have never been to Ledbury then you should visit.
The morning was delivered by Joy Roderick on the poetry of Wilfred Owen, W.H. Auden and with the Caribbean immigrant influence of Grace Nichols and John Agard which did mean that we ranged from the second decade of the 1900's, through the 1930's and into the '70's and '80's with the two latter poets.
The hall was full with four people grouped around each of the eight tables in a position to discuss, comment upon and offer opinions on the poem before them. We started with Joy reading Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est'. I had read this one before without realizing its true worth. There were poetical aware people who were able to contribute in the analysis of this piece of work and I was surprised how much had gone into the construction of it. We asked how much of it was written when he was on the 'Western Front' and how much had been influenced by Siegfried Sassoon when both were in Craiglockhert Hospital?

We were asked to question the effect it had, what the meaning was, to examine the schemes involved and in what the context was. There was very valid points made with the comment that this was 'a back-to-back' sonnet. Interesting to anyone with a leaning towards poetics.

Moving on we read 'Stop the Clocks' by W.H. Auden. The history is interesting in that he kept the first two verses and re-wrote the second two to turn it into a 'love poem'. I have heard it read at funerals, it figured in the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', it has been re-titled 'Funeral Blues' and was original written for another film. The view around the table was ' no, not really' - we didn't like it. However don't let me put you off reading this man as there to him that meets the eye - nudge-nudge, wink-wink.

We covered much ground in two hours and then we came to a different sort of protest with Grace Nichols and 'The Fat Black Woman Goes Shopping'. How can anyone not read it with that title at the top of the page? Her second one 'Wherever I Hang' is equally intriguing when she ends up by telling us where she hangs her knickers!

Her husband, John Agard, followed with 'Listen Mr Oxford Don' which you can listen to on-line.
We examined it and for me it was not a protest about how to speak - properly or otherwise - but about racism and classism. I agree with the man, speak how you like and protest about any reasonable injustice.

I had a great morning looking in some depth into some serious writing in a fairly formal setting but with tutorial control. It, and myself achieved our objectives. Then I sat and wrote this with pint of Pardoes, ham, egg and chips followed by strawberry and apple crumble with ice cream. It was such a good way to spend part of a wet afternoon.

And, I am on radio wildfire tonight just tune into the net.


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