Impact of War: To those who have Lost Everything

War can wreak uncontrollable havoc. Regardless of their age, temperament, or gender, every member of the community experiences the negative effects of war. The effects of conflict last for a very long time, leaving the victims uncomfortable and helpless. The experience of war has left some regrettable impressions in the thoughts of those who saw it. If a person has never participated in or witnessed conflict, they cannot comprehend its true effects. As a result, only those who have personally experienced its negative impacts can adequately describe them. Thus, the essay explores emotional impact of war, as brought out by Anna Akhmatova in the poem Why Is This Age Worse, Eva Dobell in her Pluck, Sholeh Wolpe in his poem, Prisoner in a Hole, and Francisco Alarcon’s To Those Who Have Lost Everything. The essay will focus on the comparable aspects of all the poems, as well as contrast.

Anna Akhmatova invokes a broad sense of emotion and compassion in work. The picture as depicted by the poet adds a compelling element of how war-ravaged and torn apart the country. In the first line of the poem, the poet poses a question “Why is this age worse than earlier ages?” (1) In other words, this sheds a clear picture that the current state of the country was not good. She further compares her country with those of the west and feels sorry as shown by her manner of expression. In the sixth and seventh line of the poem; her country is currently dominated by the then Russian war while a reverse was the case in the western world:

”In the west, the falling light still glows,

And the clustered housetops glitter in the sun”(6-7).

The western countries are happy and living in harmony. Their activities are happening in a standard way as usual. In contrast, the poet’s country grieves the death of her residents and others nursing the wounds attained at war:

”Have we not fingered the foulest wounds?

And left them unhealed by our hands?” (3-4)

An intrinsic feeling of compassion that was displayed by Akhmatova’ can easily be relied on to the reader. The readers of this poem can get a clear picture of the current situation of the country in the subject. The poets could not hold back her emotions as she reflects on the enormous amount of wounds inflicted on her fellow countrymen As a result of the war. Her emotion description of the situation was justifiable because the tumults, pain, instability, and harm which are primary features of war scenarios, were depicted in the Russian war, Eva Dobell’s Pluck is another emotional poem exposing tremendous ravages caused by war. Her tone also exposes her deep emotions evoked by her personal experiences in the war while working as a nurse.

The compassion shown by Dobell is outstanding as she cannot help the negativity she holds against war based on the amount of causality is causes. Her piece of work gives an illustration of a young boy, only 17 years of age, whose life was shattered not as a result of self- orchestrated eventualities, but regarding that he lived in the era of the war. Eva Dobell expressed an intense compassion, which was inspired by the uncomfortable sight of seeing a dying man. She cares so much about the men who fought in the war. Dobell notes that it would have been better for the teenager to die after acquiring permanent disability rather than to remain alive and live a miserable life in the subsequent time:

”With both legs smashed, it might have

Been better in that grim trench to die

Then to drag maimed years out

Helplessly” (3-6).

These words reflect bitterness in the poet’s mind about what the boy experienced after joining the war at a tender age. Her emotions hit the crescendo when she says: ”A child- so wasted and so white” (6). The young boy had huge dreams like any other child, but the rages of war-shattered his hopes. He was uncertain as to the actual adverse effects of war. He might have thought of it as a service to his country for which he would be honored. But, it was revealed by the poet that conflicts such as wars are real and are accompanied by dire consequences, as the boy ends up sustaining a permanent disability. Hence Anna Akhmatova and Dobell share a notion that the boy never deserved what the adverse, effects he suffered as a result of the war. In both poems, the authors bring out the dangers of war such as deaths, some people become disabled, inability to access basic needs, just but to name a few. Notably, Dobell emotions can be read clearly in lines eight through eleven when she remarks that:

”He told a lie to get his way

To march, a man with men and

Fight while other boys are still

At play” (8-11).

These points show an emotionally devastated author who, just like Anna Akhmatova, feels that somewhere, peace is in plenty, while the young boy has been lured to take part in the military operation at war without its consent. She points out with emphasis that it was ”gallant lie.” Furthermore, the poet evokes huge emotions as the young boy tried his level best to escape the danger before he was entangled and became a participant in the war. The situation sounds to have been unbearable for the author and her fellow countrymen as a result of the war. The author, who is a female and the young boy, must have belonged to a weaker side which was unequivocally being exterminated or targeted. As a result, the assailants caught the teen boy and crashed his legs and body abandoning him in a trench for dead. Though at the end the boy survives the shadows of death, he, however, became handicapped. Such a sad incident evokes enormous emotions and compassion because eventually, the boy ends up living a miserable life. On account of the poem, war casts a very dark shadow on prospects for progress and co-existence. Scars of war evoke painful memories hence causing emotions that make the heart to bleed. At this point, it is essential that war is a venture that should be avoided as much as possible.

Sholeh Wolpe presents a very destructive event. He narrates about one young man aged 25 imprisoned for engaging in war. In the real world, a hole in prison is used for most disruptive or violent prisoners for punishment and not for reform. He narrates how an innocent young sucker in his mother’s arms grows and becomes a victim of circumstances and qualifies to be imprisoned. In his current situation, he is unable to live a comfortable life as he is in a dirty environment which is a complete mess and so unbearable. In the mind of a prisoner, emotions are high and mindful of terrible turns life can take. The inner meaning of his poem points to how young men’s lives can be marred and their dreams completely shattered. It is hard to think through the whole life of a young person stricken to the ground, and his dreams trampled underfoot. This is similar to Dobell’s poem because in both cases, dreams of young boys were shattered as a result of the war. The manner the poet reminisces about the childhood life of the victim evokes enormous emotions:

”This man was once a child

Held against the breast of a mother.”

Sholeh Wolpe’s points of convergence with the other two poems discussed in this essay in that there is an aspect of war. In all the three represent a harsh emerge. Also, the casualties are there, and they are emotionally affected. Despite too little contrast, the three poems point to an emotional state in which the poets are unable to conceal their negative feelings about war. The poet, however, depicts some rare of hope of transformation of the young man in prisoner when she says:

”Hanging from a string

Around his neck: a small holy book.”

On his part, Francisco Alarcon expressly paints a clear picture of the damages of war and painful emotions that culminate from it. The author explains the deserted place using terms like ‘nothing’ and ‘shit’ (13 and 14). He also seems to have a clear reminiscence of the past of the affected area and evokes utter emotions when he narrates what happens to the areas deserted because of war. The author suggests that the natives have been turned into aliens and apparently, they have been displaced and have been turned into refugees. The poet outlines that the dangers of the war are everywhere. Some of the victims die to suffer due to lack food and enough drinks. Access to shelter is also a problem. His theme is similar to Anna Akhmatova when reminiscing about the past. Both poets feel that the past was better than the present. For them, things are no longer the same. The kind of experience the authors share invokes bitter emotions in their minds and that of the reader. Just like other works that have been cited in this paper, the experience is all the same.

In conclusion, the authors have a great sense of emotion, as it pertains to war. The result of all cases of conflict is illustriously said to have caused a great sense of depression. The authors share the experience is somewhat emphatic and emotional. No amount of resistance can be applied to control emotions as they share what they believe was a culmination of war. Bitter feelings and unutterable pain are exhibited. Ravages and scars of war reverberate through the ages.

Works Cited

Alarcon, Francisco. To those who have Lost Everything. University of Arizona, 2002.

Wolpe, Sholeh. Prisoner in a Hole. Red Hen Press, 2004.

Akhamatova, Ann. “Why Is This Age Worse?” https://allpoetry.com/Why-Is-This-Age-Worse. Accessed 20 Nov. 2017.

Dobell, Eva. ”Pluck.” Book of Poems. Ed. John Barlycorn. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.