Inspired by the events of the 1991 Gulf War, Gillian Clarke’s Lament effectively describes the impacts of war on the surrounding environment and wildlife. Although written specifically about the Gulf War, the message of the poem can be applied to the present day - using only words, Clarke paints a vivid picture of the effect of humanity’s behaviour on nature and its inhabitants. Similarly, Boey Kim Cheng’s Report to Wordsworth illustrates the extent of the damage done to the environment. Written as a response to William Wordsworth, he successfully narrates the consequences of man’s destructive habits on nature.
Both poets use the structure of their poems to strengthen their ideas on the relationship between the human race and nature. Lament …show more content…
In the final stanza of Lament, the sun is described as being “put out”, which represents the loss of truth and hope. This is due to light’s ability to reveal - humans trust their eyes more than anything because the power of sight enables them to distinguish truth from lie. Light and stars are also associated with hope, so the sun being extinguished could symbolise the death of it. Apart from this, a tone of finality is created in Lament through the final line of the poem - “for vengeance, and the ashes of language.” Through the word “vengeance”, Clarke hints that war is a petty matter, and that it is merely fought for revenge over personal issues. These affairs could easily be resolved, but instead, man turns to violence in order to solve the problems at hand, inadvertently affecting the natural world. Moreover, “the ashes of language” mentioned represent the death of truth - the metaphor used implies that people are often deceived into thinking that war is for a good cause, while in fact, it only serves to harm and destroy numerous lives and the environment. This suggests that as long as the truth continues to be cloaked in a web of lies, war will never truly
Both poets use the structure of their poems to strengthen their ideas on the relationship between the human race and nature. Lament …show more content…
In the final stanza of Lament, the sun is described as being “put out”, which represents the loss of truth and hope. This is due to light’s ability to reveal - humans trust their eyes more than anything because the power of sight enables them to distinguish truth from lie. Light and stars are also associated with hope, so the sun being extinguished could symbolise the death of it. Apart from this, a tone of finality is created in Lament through the final line of the poem - “for vengeance, and the ashes of language.” Through the word “vengeance”, Clarke hints that war is a petty matter, and that it is merely fought for revenge over personal issues. These affairs could easily be resolved, but instead, man turns to violence in order to solve the problems at hand, inadvertently affecting the natural world. Moreover, “the ashes of language” mentioned represent the death of truth - the metaphor used implies that people are often deceived into thinking that war is for a good cause, while in fact, it only serves to harm and destroy numerous lives and the environment. This suggests that as long as the truth continues to be cloaked in a web of lies, war will never truly