Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #warpoetry, aggregated by home.social.
Christmas Eve. The hour between tea and black-out.
The stove reddens and snores in the gathering dusk.
Five tin helmets hang in a row on the wall,
Their little black pot-bellies gleam in the glow of the fire…
—Flora Garry, “Ambulance Depot, 1942”
published in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945
2/2
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #20thcentury #warpoetry #WW2 #womenwriters
Faar’s Baabie Jeanie’s loon? The aal wife hersel
Stans treeshin hame the milkers at the ley park yett.
Faa caas the mornin cairt an fordals neeps an strae,
Wi waages up an risin an fee’d folk sae ull to get?…
—“War: 1939–1945” by Flora Garry (1900–2000)—born #OTD, 30 September
published in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945
1/2
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #20thcentury #warpoetry #WW2 #womenwriters
April, the last full fixture of the spring:
“Feet, Scottish, feet!” – they rucked the fear of God
Into Blackheath…
—“London Scottish”, by Mick Imlah (1956–2009) – born #OTD, 26 September
published in THE LOST LEADER (Faber, 2008)
1/5
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/london-scottish/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #warpoetry #WW1 #rugby #LondonScottish #MickImlah
The bell that tolls my syllables can tell
An underwater tale, clang how there fell
Suddenly out of a surface shouting world
Into dumb calm doomed children…
—George Sutherland Fraser (1915–1980), “S.S. City of Benares”
On 18 September, 1940, at one minute past midnight, the SS CITY OF BENARES was torpedoed in the Atlantic. Of 134 passengers, 90 were child refugees bound for Canada. Only 13 children survived.
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #WarPoetry #WW2 #refugees
Now the soldier has come home.
He has fought his way back
To the faces of the gnome-children
With still magic in their glances…
—JF Hendry – “The Return”
2/2
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #20thcentury #warpoem #warpoetry #WW2
How we could ever have come to this pass?
Is all we are asking…
“Question & Answer”, by James Findlay Hendry (1912–1986) – born #OTD, 12 September
With G.S. Fraser & Henry Treece, author, poet & translator J.F. Hendry was a contributor to the “New Apocalypse” poetic movement of the 1930s
1/2
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #20thcentury #warpoem #warpoetry #WW2
But gin the auld fowks’ tales are richt
An’ ghaists come hame on Hallow nicht,
O freend o’ freends! what wad I gie
To feel ye rax yer hand to me
Atween the dark an’ caun’le-licht?
—Sheena Wellington & Karine Polwart sing Violet Jacob’s achingly sad poem “Hallowe’en”
7/8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FisdvJmgVNY
#Scottish #literature #Scots #Scotslanguage #19thCentury #20thcentury #WomenWriters #VioletJacob #warpoetry #ww1
To Marykirk ye’ll set ye forth.
An’ whustle as ye step alang,
An’ aye the Grampians i’ the North
Are glow’rin’ on ye as ye gang…
—Violet Jacob, “The Road to Marykirk”
published in MORE SONGS OF ANGUS & OTHERS (1918)
6/8
#Scottish #literature #Scots #Scotslanguage #19thCentury #20thcentury #WomenWriters #VioletJacob #warpoetry #WW1
Harry – Violet Jacob’s only child – died aged just twenty from wounds received at the Battle of the Somme, on 16 July 1916. Jacob’s war poems are some of the most poignant & affecting works from the Home Front.
“To A.H.J.”, from MORE SONGS OF ANGUS & OTHERS (1918)
5/8
#Scottish #literature #warpoetry #WW1 #19thCentury #20thcentury #WomenWriters #VioletJacob
But Davie’s deid!
Nae mair gude nor ill can betide him.
We happit him doun by Beaumont toun,
And the half o’ my hert’s in the mools aside him.
“Home Thoughts from Abroad”—one of John Buchan’s First World War poems in Scots
6/9
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #JohnBuchan #20thcentury #poem #poetry #warpoem #warpoetry #ww1 #Scots #ScotsLanguage
A Man in Constant Revolt: Hugh MacDiarmid’s Poetry of World War Two
—Richie McCaffery, International Review of Scottish Studies 43 (2018)
5/10
https://www.irss.uoguelph.ca/index.php/irss/article/view/4541
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #Scots #Scotslanguage #modernism #20thcentury #MacDiarmid #warpoetry #WW2
Like an unnourished rose I see you now, and yours the
Pallor of that city of soot and pigeons…
—George Sutherland Fraser, “A Winter Letter (To my sister in London, from Asmara)”
published in From the Line: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945 (ASL, 2014)
Today, 2 August, is Sisters Day
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #sisters #SistersDay #WarPoem #WarPoetry #WW2
Hugh Roberts (Uni Exeter) introduces translations of moving poetry by Ukrainian soldiers in a conversation with Adelie Pojzman-Pontay on _Ukraine the Latest_. It starts at 12:30 in today's episode. https://youtu.be/7AXCoKZkXMI 🇺🇦
“An Eala Bhan” (“The White Swan”) has been performed by a huge number of Gaelic artists from Julie Fowlis to Capercallie & Linda Macleod who grew up in the same part of North Uist as Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna. She speaks here to Cathy McDonald about the significance of the song and the man behind it
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p03z41p3
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #poem #warpoetry #Somme #WW1
Gur duilich leam mar tha mi
’S mo chridhe ’n sàs aig bròn
Bhon an uair a dh’fhàg mi
Beanntan ard a’ cheò
Gleanntannan a’ mhànrain
Nan loch, nam bàgh ‘s nan sròm
’S an eala bhàn tha tàmh orra
Gach là air ’m bheil mi ’n tòir…
—Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna, “An Eala Ban”
The First Battle of the Somme began #OTD, 1 July, 1916. Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna / Donald MacDonald composed “An Eala Bhan” (“The White Swan”) during the battle.
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #poem #warpoetry #Somme #WW1
“The Sodgers”, by Alexander Scott (1920–1989)
Alexander Scott landed in Normandy in 1944 with the Gordon Highlanders, & saw action in the Ardennes & crossing the Rhine. He later became Head of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, was president of ASL from 1976–79, & was a founding editor of our annual anthology NEW WRITING SCOTLAND
Today, 6 June, is the anniversary of D-Day
#Scottish #literature #DDay #poem #poetry #20thcentury #warpoem #warpoetry #WW2 #Scots #Scotslanguage
Hey! Jock, are ye glad ye ’listed?
O Jock, but ye’re far frae hame!
What d’ye think o’ the fields o’ Flanders?
Jockey lad, are ye glad ye came?
—Neil Munro, “Hey, Jock, are ye glad ye ’listed?”
in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945
Munro served as a war correspondent during WW1. His own son, Hugh, was killed in action in 1915
3/5
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
When you were people
We could have loved you,
Found out your names
And brought you presents…
—“Poem for Innocent Victims of War” by AC Jacobs (1937–1994) – born #OTD, 30 May
Published in NAMELESS COUNTRY: Selected Poems (Carcanet, 2018)
A 🎂 🧵
1/6
https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781784106751/nameless-country/
#Scottish #literature #poetry #Jewish #diaspora #20thcentury #warpoetry
The houses stir and pluck their roofs and walls
Apart as if in play and fling their stones
Against the sky to make a common arc
And fall again. The conflagrations raise
Their mountainous precipices…
—Edwin Muir, “The River”
5/10
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #20thCentury #EdwinMuir #Orkney #warpoetry #ww2
It is VE Night, Tobermory.
Cottages blaze and shimmer in the mirror of the bay.
Light is necklaced everywhere…
—Hugh McMillan, “Old Photograph”
published in AFTER THE STORM (Smith/Doorstop Books, 2005)
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/old-photograph/
Cantie in seaside simmer on the dunes,
I fling awa my dowp of cigarette
whaur bairns hae biggit castles out of sand
and watch the reik rise frae the parapet…
—Robert Garioch Sutherland (1909–1987), “During a Music Festival”
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #warpoetry #WW2 #VEDay #Scots #Scotslanguage
Thàinig uair-san leis na sligean,
leis na spealgan-iarainn beàrnach,
anns an toit is anns an lasair,
ann an crith is maoim na h-àraich…
—Somhairle MacGill-Eain (Sorley MacLean) (1911–1996), “Curaidhean” (“Heroes”)
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #poem #poetry #WarPoetry #WW2 #VEDay
Now the soldier has come home.
He has fought his way back
To the faces of the gnome-children
With still magic in their glances…
—James Findlay Hendry (1912–1986), “The Return”
Today, 8 May, is the 81st anniversary of VE Day
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
Chì mi rè geàrd na h-oidhche
dreòs air chrith ’na fhroidhneas thall air fàire,
a’ clapail le a sgiathaibh,
a’ sgapadh ’s a’ ciaradh rionnagan na h-àird’ ud…
—Deòrsa Mac Iain Deòrsa (George Campbell Hay), “Bisearta”. Hay witnessed the Allied bombing of Bizerte in 1943
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #poem #poetry #warpoetry #ww2
When you were people
We could have loved you,
Found out your names
And brought you presents…
—AC Jacobs, “Poem for Innocent Victims of War”
Published in NAMELESS COUNTRY: Selected Poems (Carcanet, 2018)
How we could ever have come to this pass?
Is all we are asking…
—James Findlay Hendry (1912–1986), “Question & Answer”
With GS Fraser & Henry Treece, the author, poet & translator JF Hendry was a contributor to the “New Apocalyptics” poetic movement of the 1930s & 40s
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #warpoetry #20thcentury #WW2
Today's poem:
Song of Amiens
- by TP Cameron Wilson
https://www.tumblr.com/ukdamo/808528281034981376/song-of-amiens?source=share
When you have walked through a town, as an infantryman
you’ll never go through streets the same way again.
There is shoulder-ache from rifle-sling, and sore
butt-bruise, of bolt, on hip and thigh…
—“Infantryman”, by Colin McIntyre (1927–2012) – born #OTD, 27 January
Published in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
“War polarises. It works by defining otherness. But for Hay, North Africa yielded a particular sense of how all cultures live across their differences. […] It is not simply that death levels all, but that languages deepen and extend humanity.”
Prof Alan Riach looks at the influence of WW2 on the poetry of Sorley MacLean & George Campbell Hay
2/7
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19307039.born-war/
#Scottish #literature #Gaelic #Gaidhlig #poem #poetry #Warpoetry #WW2
