Do you agree that a war poem should never be silly?

Question

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GENERAL ORDER NUMBER ONE

As we all stood round

watching him sleep,

we talked about what to do.

The irony was…he, the sentry,

was the only one sleeping.

Top was the quietest,

and me, of course, I was the loudest.

Binghamton suggested me shake him,

to make sure he was alive.

He was alive, alright,

alive and asleep at his post.

Just as I was about to crack one more time,

Top pulled out his pistol and shot

Private Smith right in the head.

War IS hell…

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Answer 1

Well ... The songs and stories about war were sometimes much worse ... I imagine kids chanted things more silly than what you've written ...

Movies and shows such as M*A*S*H* certainly did very well with their antics.

"shot Private Smith right in the head," I suppose, is no worse than any of the above; it may be milder.

Answer 2

Sentries who are found asleep at their post are usually woken up before they are executed. What would be the point in executing a man while he was asleep. He wouldn't feel it.

I can think of several war-poets who make a speciality of writing humourously about atrocities: Keith Douglas, Gunter Eich, Gauillaume Apollinaire - and I have a strong suspicion that Horace' famous 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori' is intended ironically.

The best thing about Horace' joke is that so few people have realised they are having their chain yanked.

Answer 3

When someone is asleep I have heard the phrase Dead to the world, but never took it literally before this poem!  But as Morporc pointed out those who feel asleep at their post were shot, but were woke up first! Cruel world we live in!

Cheers!

Answer 4

Elaine and I must think alike because I was actually the first to see this, no one else had responded yet, but I didn't and still don't have the words.  I just don't know what to say other than it's well written.  No one ever said poetry had to be comfortable, right?

Answer 5

Poetry isn't a religion; nothing is sacred although some might want to control what is and what is not poetry.  I think Thalia was poking fun at Mars by calling on Melpomene. It was a God, Muse issue. This time the Muses collaborated to kick a little Mars butt. Truth be known Top never trusted Pvt. Muhammad Smith. It was a shame he was wearing a squirt gun, still it scared the h**l out of everyone, and was funny seeing Smith wet his pants when he got wet..

1st general order, hasn't that got something to do with protecting your post? My dad used firecrackers to mess with people, said it kept them alert.

It was a very enjoyable poem sir, yes sir.

Answer 6

Depends on how good the poem is, and the point it's making.

Answer 7

Top sounds like ours.  Gotta cross a gator infested stream?  You don't need to out-swim the gators, just your comrades.  Make them humorous, it beats the plain facts of war.

Dang.... spell chick allowed gator and gotta but kicked out outswim.. go figger.

Answer 8

I can't respond to this in any coherent fashion. All I can do is hope it is fiction.

EDIT: In my opinion, there must be a better way to set an example--like 100 push-ups.

Answer 9

Yes, I am in agreement. Nobody feels bad for Pvt. Smith.

Answer 10

havent read lotsa war poems. death poems yes though...japanese ones.