Remembering the sacrifices is not enough. We need to learn from the horrors of war and end the endless cycle of hatred and killing. Poetry, music and the arts have always been able to touch parts of us that logic or science, however advanced, or political argument, can’t reach. It touches our hearts. And, more than ever, there is a need to lift us, all of us, out of the endless flow of bitterness and bile, of self-interest and quest for power. So, in this session we will hear and feel the raw experiences of soldiers on the front lines. Through the eyes of poets like Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and others, we will explore ‘the truth untold, I mean the pity of war, the pity war distilled’. We will, through this exploration and through other poetry, encourage reflection on the vital importance of resolving conflicts without resorting to violence – on the international stage, on the streets, in our homes.
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon was born in Matfield, a small village in Kent and spent his early life there. lived a comfortable life as a country gentleman and enjoyed foxhunting, cricket and writing poetry as his pastimes. In 1915, he signed up and went to war in the trenches where he was known as Mad Jack for his risk-taking and courage. He was awarded a Military Cross before being wounded and returning home for convalescence. He was one of the great poets of World War I, known for his brutal portrayal of conflict and its consequences. He risked court-martial to speak out against the conduct of the war as it moved from ‘a war of freedom and liberation to a war of aggression and conquest’.
Come and Join Us – Read, Listen, Reflect There is a café very close to Memorial Hall for refreshment. It will help our planning if you can text 07846125679 if your plan to join us.
