Donald Bain: “War Poet”
Introduction to Donald Bain
Born in 1922, Donald Bain attended Cambridge University, worked as an editor, joined the war effort, served with the Royal Artillery, was invalided, and continued to write some poetry after the war. He is really only known for this one poem, “War Poet,” making him a “minor poet.” However, his poem does make an important statement about the craft of writing poetry in times of war, and it has been included in several collections of war poetry for this reason.
Born in 1922, Donald Bain attended Cambridge University, worked as an editor, joined the war effort, served with the Royal Artillery, was invalided, and continued to write some poetry after the war. He is really only known for this one poem, “War Poet,” making him a “minor poet.” However, his poem does make an important statement about the craft of writing poetry in times of war, and it has been included in several collections of war poetry for this reason.
SELECTED WORK: War Poet
I am the man who looked for peace and found
My own eyes barbed,
I am the man who groped for words and found
An arrow in my hand.
I am the builder whose firm walls surround
A slipping land.
When I grow sick or mad
Mock me not nor chain me:
When I reach for the wind
Cast me not down:
Though my face is a burnt book
And a wasted town.
I am the man who looked for peace and found
My own eyes barbed,
I am the man who groped for words and found
An arrow in my hand.
I am the builder whose firm walls surround
A slipping land.
When I grow sick or mad
Mock me not nor chain me:
When I reach for the wind
Cast me not down:
Though my face is a burnt book
And a wasted town.
Interpretation
Donald Bain’s poem shows the difficulty of the soldier-poet to see the bigger picture since he is too close to the action of the war. He says that it is the poet’s duty to record what he sees. Writing war poetry also help soldier-poets “to ease [their] dusty throats,” – to deal with the disruption, the destruction, the pain, and the loss of war – all topics addressed in the novel and the shorter works in this Resource guide. So, Bain realizes the limits of war poetry, but also its necessity, leaving readers to think deeply about the war.
Donald Bain’s poem shows the difficulty of the soldier-poet to see the bigger picture since he is too close to the action of the war. He says that it is the poet’s duty to record what he sees. Writing war poetry also help soldier-poets “to ease [their] dusty throats,” – to deal with the disruption, the destruction, the pain, and the loss of war – all topics addressed in the novel and the shorter works in this Resource guide. So, Bain realizes the limits of war poetry, but also its necessity, leaving readers to think deeply about the war.
Form
The poem is only one stanza long and has a regular aabbccdd rhyme scheme. These are known as rhyming couplets. Most of the lines have 16 syllables, which is unusually long.
The poem is only one stanza long and has a regular aabbccdd rhyme scheme. These are known as rhyming couplets. Most of the lines have 16 syllables, which is unusually long.