Saturday, 24 October 2015

Poem ~ Banned Poets - Sunday, 24 October 1915



Source: File:  Rudyard Kipling.jpeg [online] see an original image at: <https://www.poeticous.com/kipling> [24 October 2015].


With questions raised

In the House of Commons,
Came one subject discussed,
Which dealt with poets -
Subjected to military censors.

The home secretary
Was asked by Mr McNeill,
About quotes of Mr Kipling
And Mr Browning, being
Deleted from press dispatches.

A reply was given by Sir Simon
To suggest the Press Bureau
Might provide an acceptable
List of British poets  - might
That possibly prove ineffective?

With amusement provided
To the idea that the military
Did not object to poetry,
But to times of an inability
To recognize the art form.

Meanwhile Mr Outhwaite
Quizzed, if the same official
Had censored both Kipling
And Browning - Sir Simon
Replied how he thought not.

The belief was suggested
That the Browning quote,
That appeared in a despatch,

Had come from an accredited
Front line correspondent.

The quip reply by Mr McNeil,
Was asking for reassurance
That two separate people
Were responsible - Afterwards
Mr Simon made a response.

The Home secretary, who 
Had raised this issue,
From then on  prompted
All censors to; 'meditate
The thankless muse.'

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Censors and The Poets - 'No Military Objection'. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 22 October. P.6. Col.2. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11936818/Daily-Telegraph-October-22-1915.html [Accessed: 24 October 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 24 October 2015). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1England

No comments:

Post a Comment