Poems by Isaac Rosenberg - Echoes of War: A Modernist Journey Through the Brutal Realities of World War I

Isaac Rosenberg

Summary

In "Poems by Isaac Rosenberg," the reader is invited into a profound exploration of the human condition, war, and the nature of existence, all articulated through Rosenberg's strikingly modernist style. His poetry reflects a unique confluence of expressionism and imagery, framing the harsh realities of World War I against a backdrop of deep philosophical inquiry. Themes of displacement, despair, and beauty resonate through intricate imagery and innovative forms, revealing the tension between the personal and the broader human experience in a time of chaos. Isaac Rosenberg was an artist-poet born into a Jewish family in London, whose diverse cultural background and early influences shaped his creative expression. His experiences as a soldier during the Great War deeply informed his work, as he faced the grotesque realities of trench warfare while reflecting on his Jewish identity and the struggle for meaning in a fragmented world. His tragic death in the war only amplified the poignant and prophetic voice present in his poetry. This collection is a vital read for those interested in modernist literature, war poetry, and the intersection of art and personal identity. Rosenberg's poignant verses challenge readers to confront the intense emotions of sorrow, beauty, and resilience, making it an essential addition to any literary canon.

Available since: 01/17/2022.

Print length: 61 pages.

Poetry & Theatre

Other books that might interest you

amuk

Khairani Barokka

Khairani Barokka's uncompromising third collection of poetry amuk sheds light on the devastating and ongoing effects of a single word's mistranslation, and emphasises what exists in opposition to such hostile histories and presents: hope, resistance, and joy.
Groundbreaking in its use of form and poetics, amuk deconstructs the brutal workings of oppressive systems to examine how, "through macheted etymology", violence and suffering is replicated through (mis)translation. These radical poems of fury and prayer look towards the vital, living resistance of persisting languages, and resilient peoples.

Show book

The Tenderness of Silent Minds -...

Martha C. Nussbaum

The human body is the primary instrument of war, yet those waging war often confront soldiers' bodies in a detached or merely intellectual way. In The Tenderness of Silent Minds, Martha C. Nussbaum, a leading thinker on emotion, morality, and justice, conducts a pioneering study of Benjamin Britten's musical representations of the tender male body amidst the brutality of war, and their ability to transform consciousness by evoking potent, non-personal emotions. 
 
 
 
Offering a reading of Britten's views about the value and beauty of the body that situates these in the context of his thirty-nine year partnership with his lover, the singer Peter Pears, and also surveying pacifist themes in works written both before and after War Requiem, Nussbaum presents a compelling framework for critically assessing Britten's oeuvre. Nussbaum engages with a remarkably wide range of Britten's works, examining his treatment of aggression and its roots in his collaborations with the poet W. H. Auden, offering readings of the value placed on the body in early partnerships with Britten's beloved and singer Peter Pears, and surveying pacifist themes in Britten's earlier works. The analysis throughout is enriched with perspectives from Britten's personal letters and thoughtful study of the social and political backdrop of fear and homophobic disgust in mid-twentieth century Britain.

Show book

Noughts & Crosses

Malorie Blackman

An electrifying, bittersweet love story with echoes of Romeo and Juliet, set in a society divided by racial bigotry and a world rocked by terrorism. Adapted from Malorie Blackman's best-selling novels.
Sephy (a Cross) is the daughter of the Deputy Prime Minister. Callum is the son of a Nought agitator. United by a shared sense of injustice as children, and separated by intolerance as they grow up, their desire to be together begins to eclipse all family loyalty – sparking a political crisis of unimaginable proportions.
'I wanted to turn society as we know it on its head, with new names for the major divisions, i.e. Noughts (the underclass) and Crosses (the majority, ruling society)' - Malorie Blackman
Dominic Cooke's adaptation of Noughts & Crosses was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2007.

Show book

Phil and Jan

Lee Brady

A long-married couple are returning home from a summer visit to their daughter in California. The vacation makes the wife question what happened to their adventurous younger selves.

Show book

The Poetry of Aleister Crowley -...

Aleister Crowley

Edward Alexander Crowley was born on 12th October 1875 to wealthy parents in Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire.

He was educated at Malvern College, Tonbridge School, Eastbourne College and finally Trinity College, Cambridge where he focused on his passions of mountaineering and poetry and published several volumes.

Life for Crowley was to abandon his parents’ Christian faith and instead to inject himself into Western esotericism. In 1898, he joined the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and was trained in ceremonial magic before studying both Hindu and Buddhist practices in India.

On his Egyptian honeymoon in 1904 he claimed contact with an entity―Aiwass―who gave him the sacred Book of the Law which served as the basis for the Thelema religion where he identified as its prophet. During the Great War, which he spent in the United States, he claimed to be working for British Intelligence but by the 1920s he had decamped to pursue a libertine lifestyle in Sicily, and in the ensuing scandals was evicted by the Italian Government.

He divided the following two decades between France, Germany, and England, and the continuing promotion of Thelema.

During his life he gained widespread notoriety for his drug use, his bisexuality, and his alarming views on society. In short, polite society frowned on his ways, his thoughts and his influence but to many others his stance had much of value. Even after death he was a darling for the 60’s counterculture but his influence has since waned.

His literary works were both prolific and covered many topics. In the early part of his career he published many poetry books, even plays, before his darker and more forceful works came to dominate his output.

Aleister Crowley died on 1st December 1947 at Hastings in England. He was 72.

1 - The Poetry of Aleister Crowley - An Introduction
2 - The Wizard Way by Aleister Crowley
3 - Hymn to Lucifer by Aleister Crowley
4 - The Pentagram by Aleister Crowley
5 - Hymn to Pan by Aleister Crowley
6 - A Birthday by Aleister Crowley
7 - The Quest by Aleister Crowley
8 - Boo to Buddha by Aleister Crowley
9 - All Night by Aleister Crowley
10 - Necrophilia by Aleister Crowley
11 - Mathilde by Aleister Crowley
12 - Ballade de la Jolie Marion by Aleister Crowley
13 - Rondels by Aleister Crowley
14 - Man's Hope by Aleister Crowley
15 - A Jealous Lover by Aleister Crowley
16 - Long Odds by Aleister Crowley
17 - Power by Aleister Crowley
18 - Optimist by Aleister Crowley
19 - Dumb by Aleister Crowley
20 - The Titanic by Aleister Crowley
21 - The Buddhist by Aleister Crowley
22 - The Mantra-Yoga by Aleister Crowley
23 - The Poet by Aleister Crowley

Show book

Routing for Grace

Sinmisola Ogunyinka

Zeke Collins is feeling lonely and dreading a quiet Christmas after his younger brother, Ziya, got married and moved out of their shared apartment. But God had a miracle waiting for Zeke this Christmas in the person of Grace. Except that Grace - her attitude or story - looked nothing like a miracle. In Routing for Grace, Zeke gets quite an exciting Christmas, definitely more than he bargained for.

Show book