Analysis of Jeanette Barnes’ “Battle – Piece”
Jeanette Barnes’ poem entitled “Battle – Piece” is a profoundly potent and intense visual representation of how society tends to neglect and bury in forgetfulness those who gave their lives for freedom of the future generations. Images pile up, one on top of the other, demonstrating a prevalence of the lack of this memory that would show reverence to those brave souls who, despite nameless, still live in the spirit of rebellion and struggle for freedom.
The poem commences with the image of picnickers who are in such a hurry that they do not even realize the holiness of the ground where they choose to do their daily feeding. The poet uses the term “get their fill, get gone” showing how little attention they pay to anything other than stuffing themselves with food and then simply continuing with their usual business (Barnes). Their little picnic and short term stay in this place reflect evidence of their fast paced lives, where they neglect to show appreciation to this historical landscape and its dramatic role in history.
These people are nameless, merely visitors in this place, while the soldiers, who are left equally nameless, “it would be useless to name names or call them all,” are much different than the picnickers (Barnes). These soldiers gave their lives for a higher cause, knowing they are not fighting for themselves, but for their children and their children’s children, who like these picnickers, have lost the ability to appreciate the heroic deeds of their ancestors. Thus, they see no sanctity in this place, only another commodity to be used and then tossed aside.
The poet puts herself in the shoes of these people and shows her readers their perspective: “Anyway, that’s done already,” as if trying to convey the idea of this heroism being outdated and an unnecessary nuisance in the memory of modern day man (Barnes). Even the “sons of sons and reverend veteran’s wives” whose duty it is to remember and venerate, do very little in that respect, by putting “plastic daisies” instead of real flowers, as if undermining this heroic act of their men by offering plastic and surprisingly, no one is deeming them “lazy” (Barnes). Everyone seems to have full understanding for them, for their busy lives where there is little time for awakening memories and veneration of the worthy, while those who cannot speak anymore continue to sleep in the ground, voiceless and forgotten.
The finishing image is one of resounding potency, where the poet evokes identities of carefree boys, which is who most of those soldiers actually were; boys on the threshold of manhood, starry-eyed and eager to serve and protect. The poet enhances this image of childhood and boyishness by referring to the boys as “spruce-gum-chewing” and “apple-filching” proving that they were still mere boys who were torn away from their naïve boyhood games, and thrust amidst gunshots and dead bodies. Their childhood, boyhood, their lives were taken away and they were condemned to rest forever on marble pillows that astonish the skies.
The poem’s thematic structure is in perfect harmony with its style, showing the powerful urgency of change, where modern man, such as the picnickers, need to re-establish and re-evaluate their beliefs and morals. They do not seem to comprehend their surroundings, which is deeply beautiful and utterly frightening, in the sense that they do not perceive the slumbering boys who gave their lives for them, but continue to trample on their resting places, instead of revering them as holy ground, where boys transformed into heroes slumber for eternity.
Works cited:
Barnes, Jeanette. “Battle – Piece.” Web. 2 March 2012.
