i sing of Olaf glad and big... (XXX) Analysis

  
i sing of Olaf glad and big

whose warmest heart recoiled at war:

a conscientious object-or

  

his wellbelov&eacuted colonel (trig

westpointer most succinctly bred)

took erring Olaf soon in hand;

but-though an host of overjoyed

noncoms (first knocking on the head

him) do through icy waters roll

that helplessness which others stroke

with brushes recently employed

anent this muddy toiletbowl,

while kindred intellects evoke

allegiance per blunt instruments-

Olaf (being to all intents

a corpse and wanting any rag

upon what God unto him gave)

responds, without getting annoyed

"I will not kiss your fucking flag"

  

straightaway the silver bird looked grave

(departing hurriedly to shave)

  

but-though all kinds of officers

(a yearning nation's blueeyed pride)

their passive prey did kick and curse

until for wear their clarion

voices and boots were much the worse,

and egged the firstclassprivates on

his rectum wickedly to tease

by means of skillfully applied

bayonets roasted hot with heat-

Olaf (upon what were once knees)

does almost ceaselessly repeat

"there is some shit I will not eat"

  

our president,being of which

assertions duly notified

threw the yellowsonofabitch

into a dungeon,where he died

  

Christ (of His mercy infinite)

i pray to see;and Olaf,too

  

preponderatingly because

unless statistics lie he was

more brave than me:more blond than you

.: :.

The poem engenders two interpretations and Cummings only chooses one of them. The first interpretation centers on the fact that, if Olaf is truly against war, why is he in the military? Cummings says, that, "He is more brave than me." Cummings was a cutting-edge poet, probably told of his daring in poetry, and Cummings calls Olaf, "...more brave than me..." Cummings is saying that the bravest conscientious objector would go the the most dangerous place for protest--the military itself. The other interpretation centers on Olaf's stubbornness. This is not addressed by Cummings. Why can't Olaf serve his Country in silence and save his protest for when he leaves the military?? If he doesn't like war, why doesn't he just go AWOL?? People who don't like being told what to do, do not join the military. Cummings mentions Christ whose life is recorded in the Bible. Yet, the Bible is used to tell people what to do.
Olaf does not like being told what to do or what to believe. Thus, the second interpretation would see Olaf as just an irrationally stubborn young man.
In short, if you want to die, this is exactly the kind
of protest you should engage in.

| Posted on 2009-07-01 | by a guest

.: :.

This poem basically talkes about a soldier called Olaf who went into the military without actually wanting to. In the poem, cummings decribed the torture Olaf has to endured because he would not conform to " a conscientious object-or"
The poet expresses the bravery in Olaf; in how he stood up for his belief and not what the military forces upon him.

| Posted on 2009-02-16 | by a guest