Vergissemeinicht by Keith Douglas Flashcards
What is this poem about?
“Vergissmeinnicht” is a poem by Keith Douglas about his time in World War II.
-It tells the story of the poet and other soldiers finding the body of a German soldier who had attacked their tank weeks before.
-They find a photo of the German soldier’s girlfriend, Steffi, with “forget me not” written on it.
-The poem describes the dead body in a straightforward way, showing how the soldiers feel somewhat satisfied to see an enemy dead.
-However, it also suggests that Steffi, the girlfriend, would be sad to see what happened to him. The poem shows the brutal reality of war and how it affects everyone involved, and the de-humanization of war.
What are the key themes?
War, physical conflict, inner/ internal conflict (being conflicted about killing someone in WW2 but also feeling patriotic and feeling that they had to kill as soldiers - the guilt that comes with killing), the horror and dehumanisation of war.
key quotes
‘Soldier sprawling in the sun’
sibilance - to show the tragic effects of violence in the war - the soldier is dead and ‘sprawling’ suggests perhaps he has been blown up.
‘Lover and killer are mingled’
this shows the dehumanisation of war that someone can be a ‘killer’ to one person and a ‘lover’ to another.
‘Stomach burst open like cave’
-Simile to show the gruesome nature of killing in the war.
-People lost their dignity in death as they were blown to pieces.
‘Vergissemeinicht’ / ‘Steffi’
-Shows that he is loved back home.
-Again shows that he is only human despite being the enemy.
-Vergissmeinnicht - ‘forget me not’.
‘Swart flies move’
-Again shows the grotesque nature of the war
-Flies come and feed on dead bodies.
