for Essays Guru M6D2 Responses

Jennifer, 

The writers have several audiences.  First, they are writing for themselves as a reminder or as a coping mechanism for their battle scars. This also allows them to maintain some sort of connection with family even when they cannot communicate.  They are also writing to other service members, explaining dangerous situations and reminding those in charge to be mindful of the lives they put in harm’s way.  In addition, they are writing to everyone collectively in hopes that by revealing some of the ugliness of war, a decision to rush into combat might be a little harder to make next time.

In regards to catharsis, there could be potential drawbacks to liberating repressed feelings or memories.   Edelyn Verona and Elizabeth A. Sullivan’s (2008) study on emotional catharsis and aggression, in which participants vented their frustration at various stressors with outward acts of aggression, revealed a potential downfall to catharsis.  The study concluded that those with the “largest decreases in heart rate following aggressive responses…exhibited the most intense aggressive responding concurrently and in a subsequent block. Therefore, it can be suggested that relief from emotional tension reinforced more intense aggression in the participants” (p. 338).   When analyzing the study it becomes apparent that the case can be made that soldier-writers do benefit short term by communicating their experiences through various forms of writing but not in the long term. The use of written language is not an aggressive act. However, it is relief from emotional tension and Verona and Sullivan’s study concluded that emotional relief increases aggression. 

The soldier-writer that I have identified is Wilfred Owen.  He was a British military officer during World War I and was killed in action in 1918.  During his military service Owen wrote numerous poems highlighting the shock of war and senseless death.  According to Patrick Jackson (2011), Owen, while writing about the violence of war, simultaneously invokes a stylistic technique that “creates what might be called an overburdened form. The poem enacts the devastating nature of war, overwhelming the structure of the poem in the same way trench life overwhelms a soldier” (p. 167).  Owen utilized the full body (style, language) of his poems to highlight the brutality of combat. 

Wilfred wrote most of his war poems while being treated at the hospital during World War I for shell shock.  During his recovery he interpreted and wrote of war in terms of the sublime or with a sense of awe.  Jackson (2011) points out that “by writing about the war as a sublime object, he can acknowledge the overwhelming violence he experiences on the battlefield while simultaneously comprehending it—containing it—in metaphor” (p. 168).  Wilfred Owen saw poetry as his escape and a coping mechanism with which to shield himself from the violence of war. 

Tanya, 

I really enjoyed reading these articles, they were really thought provoking poems.  I felt these writers were writing to several audiences.  First, they were expressing themselves thru war times to express to the world their feelings and insights.  By doing this it made people understand their trials and contributions during these times.  I also felt like they were writing to other soldiers in war to remind them of dangers they may encounter.

Catharsis is an experience of emotional release and purification, often inspired by or through art.  This can also be looked at as the release of tension and anxiety that results from bringing repressed feelings and memories into consciousness (Credo, 2002).  I feel soldier writers benefitted by communicating their experience and feelings in memoirs, poems, and other narrative to simply relieve them of stress and revel their feelings to the world.  It is just like art therapy; it is therapy for them to be able to express themselves.  I do not see any drawback from this, people will always have opinions, but it is always interesting seeing through someone else eyes and see their perspectives.

The soldier, B.J. Lewis deployed for six months to Basra, Iraq as part of the British Military deployment ‘OPERATION TELIC’.  He felt the need to keep some sort of record of his war, so he studied the WWI poets and attempted to turn his hand to poetry.  This soldiers knew in time history would fade, so he wanted to write poetry to keep the memories fresh just so people can recall in the future just how he felt during this tour.  He felt that people would take this as a sign of weakness, but many have embraced.  B.J. Lewis continue writing poems as he found that not only were some of his words helping others to empathize with the troops in theatre but some words were being read by other service men and women and their families and helped them to make sense of similar feelings and experiences that they were going through. Many have embraced his writing through reading them at remembrance services, even put to music by Scottish choir and his poems have been chosen to be entered into “Heroes; 100 Poems from the Generation of War Poets”.  People are always willing to embrace tragic as most of the time it highlight events or past events in their lives.