Nightmare at Noon

Stephen St.Vincent Benet

[Thoeting]

I've been thinking of this poem for a very long time-- even before 9/11. How amazing that this was written over 60 years ago and so little (both good and bad) has changed in America.

I hope you enjoy it and find something worthwhile to think about.

[Anonymous2]

norway fell to its knee pads for germany and hitler faster than interns did for clintoon's little diseased package.

[Miss Marple]

Thank you. I had never read this poem.

It does seem rather like 1939, doesn't it? And the attitudes are much the same.

[Thoeting]

Yes they did, but they THOUGHT they were safe, because they were such a good peaceful nation.

In other words, they gave peace a chance.

All they did was save Hitler some time huh?

[Thoeting]

Late 1940 I believe.

I memorized this poem in college for a performance over 20 years ago. I still can't read it without crying

[firewalk]

BTTT

[Anonymous2]

correctamundo. the modern day norways are tomorrows victims.

[Miss Marple]

I read a wonderful book about Britain called 1939: The Last Season of Peace. Even in Britain, much closer to the European continent, an almost deliberate ignorance of the coming events seemed to be prevalent.

The poem seems to me to be both a praise of America and a criticism of its willful ignorance. We are in the Phoney War period right now. Next comes the Blitz.

We will all see what we are made of.

[cayuga]

Thanks for posting this. I had not seen it before.

I fear the message will be lost on the "Give Peace a Chance" crowd because they know nothing of Norway, WWII or history in general. Sad.

[Bahbah]

Ah, Miss Marple, always right on.

[dandelion]

An amazing poem: I have always loved Benet's work.

America has been through this before - we did not fail then. We will not fail now.

[Cagey]

Bookmarked and "Bumped". Thank you.

[Thoeting]

Another incredible poem is A litany for Dictatorships. written in 1935, but it could have been written yesterday.

[BohDaThone]

1. It is Stephen Vincent Benet -- not "St. Vincent" -- you are confusing with "Edna St. Vincent Millay."

2. The poem was actually written in June 1940, at the time of the fall of France. Several lines were added (about London and Greece), probably in 1941.

3. The posts about Norway are unfair. Read Churchill's "The Second World War" on the Norwegian resistence, aided by the British, around the Northern fijords, ports and mountain areas. That lasted several months, under very adverse odds.

4. Benet wrote all sorts of wonderful patriotic stuff -- "We Stand United" and other radio plays; A "propoganda" book called "America" a 100-page history to be printed in madd quantities and given away in mass quantities in Europe in 1943-45. And, of course, the epic poem "John Brown's Body,"

If the folks who from time to time re-fight the Civil War on FR would read and digest the poem, they would have a lot better understanding of the slavery v. defense of home; hate v.heritage; Lincoln as satan and other ideas thrown about way too casually.

[ccmay]

The posts about Norway are unfair. Read Churchill's "The Second World War" on the Norwegian resistence, aided by the British, around the Northern fijords, ports and mountain areas. That lasted several months, under very adverse odds.

Let's especially not forget the single bravest and most important resistance action of the whole war: the Norwegian destruction of the heavy-water plant at Vermork.

-ccm

[Thoeting]

Yep you are right on the St. Vincent part. I realized after I posted it. *shrug* I read too much poetry sometimes. Also, unfortunately there are some spell check errors, which just annoyed me.

The poem was indeed written in June 1940, but published a little later. I was referring to the published date

And yes the Norwegian's posted a quite vigorous defense, but, it should be noted, the GOVERNMENT did not. They gave up to Germany without a whimper, thinking that they could appease Hitler.

However, being a poem, rather than a historical essay, it is still quite moving--and relevant to today, that is why I spent almost an hour transcribing it from old college notes and posting it.

Glad it was enjoyed

[father_elijah]

Totally wrong on Norway. So many fled to the Shetland Islands and then to Aberdeen and became part of an incredible resistance effort that ferried arms and men from Scotland into Norway.

[father_elijah]

It would seem that governments' are rarely as valiant as their people.

[Cvengr]

Good poem.

I wonder sometimes if I'm prone to paranoia or am simply paying attention. I remember many situations where I may have been close to 'in the know' on a press worthy event. Those where I could corroborate whether the press reports were hype, to what order of magnitude they were hype, how to place them in appropriate level of urgency with respect to other events, fed me criteria to recognize that If one wanted to know what was really happening, then don't ever listen to the news.

In other situations the news seemed more reportive. A clearinghouse for the most up to date and pertinent information about influential events about us worthy our attention.

Today I observe the most rigorously competitive news organizations, which hold an oligopoly in a vainglorious industry play news reruns on cable TV. This occurring where no shortage for fameseeking players exists and a cast of thousands stand in the wings for even a hint of an opportunity to announce a news report in any forum. Where even Senators and Representatives are treated as mere errand boys touting a personal belief on dedicated topics, yet still these magnates of news industry are unable to solicit the machinery to produce more news than a repetitive rerun.

I now wonder. Is how perception of the magnitude of terror been ever established beyond the obvious WTC and periodic news story reports?

Is this an isolated event, which could have occurred anytime in the last 40 years, or is this merely the tip of an iceburg which we still have not even considered donning a life preserver?

My confidence in our institutions fades moreso when I consider these institutions lack the ability to produce news 24 hrs/day or even consider ever showing a rerun. What's wrong with this picture? Is it simply a reasonable display or are these indicative of the actual picture?

I wonder.

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you so much for this.