Monday, September 16, 2013

"Response to Flanders Field"
Yes, Walter had to sign up.  Montgomery's portrayal of a war torn family, country and world  is heart rendering.  It speaks to all the women and families left at home to deal with the reality of daily living and the heartbreaking yearnings of women, all women, all around the world in all countries, in all wars.  This is so real to us because we love Anne and her family, Rilla, Walter, Shirley, Dr. Blythe, all of them, even the caddy shallow girls.  So you know the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, read this: 
"Response to Flanders Field"

In Flanders Field again the sound
  Of marching men and guns resound.
And from the sky the larks have flown
 To leave but airplanes weirdest drone.
Ye, who are dead can rest no more,
 Your countries are again at war.
The ones you loved like you will fight
 For freedoms cause.  To make it right
To live and work as we see fit.
 The war you fought was but a bit
And was not won but simply ceased
 Until they could, once more in peace
Regain their power and rule the world.
 But we, united, flag unfurled
Have caught your torch, will hold it high
And though we suffer, though we die
See this war through.  Once and for all,
 To rise again as enemies fall.
Rest now in peace ye Flanders dead.
We march with firm but solemn tread.
And as we march our hands we raise
In true salute and silent praise.

Not word perfect but it fits, doesn't it?



 

3 comments:

debbs said...

I think grandmaga wrote this. At least that is what I have thoughtfor the last 40 years.

Tegan said...

As i was running yesterday I was listening to the part of the book where Walter and Rilla are in Rainbow Valley saying goodbye to each other and also the part where they go to the train station to see Walter off. I was SOBBING. My vision was blurred and it was hard to breathe (I almost stopped running so I could catch my breath). Why was I so teary eyed? Because Mom is right, we love the Blythes. My little heart broke right along with Rilla and Anne.

srf said...

Wow - thanks mom. I tried to google lines of the poem to see if Grandma Ga might have copied it down from another author, but I couldn't find anything - so it seems like she did write it. In Flander's Fields was a poem written about those who died in World War I, and Grandma Ga's response talks from the perspective of World War II. I think it's really beautiful. I guess Grandma would have been in her late teens/early 20s during World War II? Thanks for posting the poem.