War, what is it good for? absolutely NOTHING!

After Blenheim by Robert Southey

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 9:34 PM

Robert Southey is an English romantic poet and his poem "After Blenheim" is an anti-war poem written by him to point out the meaningless of the war and the tragedy that it leads to the whole mankind.

In his poem “After Blenheim" he tries to express some controversial ideas regarding the war. The main aspect of the poem is about the nationalistic feeling towards the war by people and the real massacre that has happened by the war to the mankind. Actually he tries to build up a connection between these two ideas by indirectly saying that people are not noticing this real massacre because they have mystified their minds with these nationalistic ideologies. In other words he is saying that people are willingly neglecting to see this massacre because of the patriotic feelings towards    their country. This sorrowful situation further justifies the statement "we only see what we want to see".

And also in the end he tries to build up a contrastable comparison between the state of mind of an adult and a child. In here poet tries to point out that a mindset of an adult is mystified with various ideologies that they have gathered through their lives which sometimes leads to cloud their judgments and blinds their point of view which ultimately push them away from the reality. They start to live in a world that they themselves have built upon their ideologies which sometimes can be totally opposite to the reality. It may also feel like living in a dream or may be living in a castle made out of glass. But every person in the end of their lives may starts realize all these ideologies that they have lived upon are false. That’s where they starts wake from their dreams, that’s where their castle starts to shatter. Even a minute before death they will realize it. Even a small incident is enough for this self-realization. And when that self-realization happens the guilt starts hit them like lighting so may be every single person in the world will not enjoy a peaceful death. This sometimes can be a real tragedy in their lives.

On the other hand children who haven't got their minds spoiled by these ideologies can be able to see the reality more clearly.  So they will start questioning the adults, but there may be a point that the adults will become speechless, and that is the point where self-realization happens in the minds of the adults. Then they will starts to see the reality more clearly rather than looking it through a pair of colored glasses as they were used to.

In this poem the character "Kaspar" represents the adults who have clouded up their minds with patriotic ideologies. And the characters “Wilhelmine” and “Peterkin” represent the children who have not yet messed up their minds with these ideologies.

 "It was a summer evening

Old Kaspar's work was done,

And he before his cottage door

Was sitting in the sun"

"Kaspar" the grandfather of these two children is living the last stage of his life. He has already finished up his duties in life. And maybe he is preparing for his death. And may be because his end is near, he is thinking about his life over again while sitting in the sun.

And with all these things he suddenly sees his granddaughter "Wilhemine" in the garden.  And Wilhemine sees her brother "Peterkin" rolling something large and round. And it seems like Peterkin the small boy couldn’t understand what it was. This again shows the immaturity of the child. Because he couldn't understand what it was he comes seeking help from his grandfather which he may believe as person who knows everything. So after examining the object Kaspar identifies it as skull of dead person but further he adds the part "who fell in the great victory" which may be irrelevant at that situation but it indicates that "Kaspar" wants to continue the conversation with the child. And it somewhat shows the loneliness of old age as well. And it also indicates the willingness to pass his ideology to the younger generation. 

And he starts to say the story and in the way he always come across great devastations that occur because of the war but without focusing on that he always mention about the great victory that the war has achieved in the end. Which he strongly believes as a great thing. But when children ask questions about the great victory he was talking about he is failing to justify this great victory he really believes in.

"It was the English," the Kaspar cried

"Who put the French to rout;

But what they fought each other for

I could not well make out.

But everybody said that was famous victory"

This stanza is the turning point of the poem according to my view.  "Kaspar" who seems like a great patriotic was really praising the great victory that they have achieved by war. Even though he knew the massacre that happened because of the war he has blindfolded himself with nationalistic ideologies saying that victory is what matter nothing else because it was a victory for the country. Which again promotes the saying "Country before ourselves".  But with this sudden questions coming from the children who don’t believe in these ideologies "Kaspar" starts to self-realize all his beliefs are going to be false. This stanza clearly shows that Kaspar don't have a clear idea about the cause that lead to the war. This means that he doesn’t know the cause of the victory and that means the victory that he thinks that they have achieved is not there. It was a useless victory, a meaningless one. And all those lives properties have lost for nothing. But people don’t understand it. That is because they have clouded up their minds with meaningless ideologies. And the old Kaspar starts to realize it with this conversation having with his grandchildren.

"My father lived at Blenheim then,

Yon little stream hard by;

They burnt his dwelling to the ground,

And he was forced to fly;

So with his wife and child he fled,

Nor had he where to rest his head"

This stanza shows that the Kaspar himself has experienced tragic side of war. But he is neglecting to admit the tragic side because of his nationalistic ideologies. And this shows how strong these ideologies can become.  How deep can person’s mind can be controlled by these ideologies? How these ideologies can push people away from the reality by blindfolding them and finally how people get dehumanized because of these ideologies.

"'With fire and sword the country round

Was wasted far and wide,

And many a childing mother then,

And new-born baby died;

But things like that, you know, must be

At every famous victory.

'They say it was a shocking sight

After the field was won;

For many thousand bodies here

Lay rotting in the sun;

But things like that, you know, must be

After a famous victory."

In these Stanzas again Kaspar tells the devastation that occurred due to the war. How tragic it was for the people. Actually to the whole mankind. But as usual he tries to justify it with the famous victory. And by justifying all these tragic events the dehumanized nature of Kaspar is really shown here. Again it is because of the meaningless ideologies that have eaten up his mind. And the serious bad effects these meaningless ideologies are shown here. But in these stanzas in the end before the famous victory the poet has used the words "must be" which clearly indicates that Kaspar has now developed kind of doubtfulness about the great victory he was really believed on. And this shows another sign of self-realization that happening inside Kaspar's mind.

"'Great praise the Duke of Marlbro' won,

And our good Prince Eugene.'

'Why, 'twas a very wicked thing!'

Said little Wilhelmine.

'Nay… nay… my little girl,' quoth he,

'It was a famous victory."

In this Stanza Wilhelmine questions Kaspar why we are praising "Duke of Marlbo" and "Prince Eugene" for the victory? It is weird thing. This because she has realized that praising these people is an unnecessary thing. Because to his grandfather they haven't done nothing. The people who have fought and died have contributed to this victory, so without praising them why are we praising these two individuals? Again the meaninglessness of the nationalistic ideologies are clearly shown here. And the fact the children who are not affected by these ideologies are able to see the reality has been proven in here.

"'And everybody praised the Duke

Who this great fight did win.'

'But what good came of it at last?'

Quoth little Peterkin.

'Why that I cannot tell,' said he,

'But 'twas a famous victory.' "

In this last stanza again Peterkin questions his grandfather Kaspar, what are the things that we have achieved through this war? And as always Kaspar is going speechless, he doesn't have any justification to give his grandson. And now he should have realized his ideologies are wrong. And he must have started to see the reality again. May be he must have been regretting and he must be feeling humiliated as well. But nevertheless he tries to show his ideologies are right by saying again "but it was a famous victory" and this shows another nature of human beings that is being reluctant to accept the defeat.

At the end using the character Kaspar who shown in the poem as a patriotic the poet manages to express his negative ideas about the war clearly saying that it is a meaningless thing.

And I believe the poet has use this patriotic character in a sort of a strategic way just to attack these meaningless ideologies that is because when the people who believes in praise those ideologies starts prove that they are meaningless is truly paradoxical meanwhile it develops bit of sarcasm as well.

And using all these facts the poet has expressed his idea about the war which completely meaningless successfully.

By Sachintha M.D.R.