I in no way attempt to be a clone-copy of the blog New Lines From A Floating Life with this post, however, I must borrow a fairly common theme from the author or said blog for a moment or two. That topic being poetry. Now, in my search, during my ENGL2605 Reading Poetry course last semester, I happened upon poetry that stuck with me through the fifteen weeks, and even now still occupies my mind every now and then.

The author isn't probably considered the greatest of all time, in fact, he probably isn't even someone you'd put into the short list. Rudyard Kipling does, however, show off something all together interesting and insightful in his collection of poems called Epitaphs of the War 1914 - 18. Now there is twenty-three poems in this collection and, as you most likely could tell from the title, it's a collection of epitaphs. But it's not just from Johnny, Billy and Smithy Soldier's funerals, but it's what Kipling writes in regards to the multitude of people that had a role in the war, were affected by it etc.

I give you the link to a page that has the collection of the poems to read at your own time, but I would like to bring attention to the following two:

Batteries out of Ammunition
If any mourn us in the workshop, say
We died because the shift kept holiday.

Common Form
If any question why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied.

I could bore you with details about contrast, form etc. etc., but frankly, knowing that I was prone to falling asleep during some lectures, I fear that falling asleep at your computer could prove to be slightly dangerous. Suffice to say that I find the first one humourous, the second one poignant, and both a good example of fine poetry.

Of course, they are no Paradise Lost. And Kipling is no Milton.

And, a side note (that has nothing to do what-so-ever about poetry), if you don't know who General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff is, in this picture, and proclaim to be trying to change the world (or some crap like that) then you are an utter fool and an imbecile.

Thank-you.

Thomas.