Lament

Lament: Overview

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is important to understand what it is about. This section includes:

• An overview of the poem

• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Gillian Clarke’s intention and message

‘Lament’ overview

The poem ‘Lament’, by Gillian Clarke, is a simple expression of grief about the circumstances of the modern world and conflict in particular. Each stanza focuses on a different consequence to show the far-reaching and damaging effects of war. 

‘Lament’ breakdown

Lines 1-3

Translation

• The poem immediately explains the poem’s title by beginning with a tribute:

  • The speaker laments for a pregnant "turtle" looking for a safe place to lay her eggs

• The speaker says the nest is in a place of “sickness”, perhaps implying the beach is polluted and diseased

Clarke’s intentions

• Clarke’s poem is presented as an elegy

• It begins with an expression of sorrow for animals like the “green turtle” who struggles to adapt to changing environmental conditions

• Immediately, Clarke introduces ideas about the natural world, and that it may be sick, metaphorically and literally

Lines 4-6

Translation

• The speaker grieves for birds, such as the cormorant

• The bird’s feathers are described as black (“funeral”) silk

• The speaker adds that the sand and sea are darkened by a “veil” and a “shadow”:

  • But there is also “iridescence”, which describes bright colours reflected in oil

Clarke’s intentions

• Gillian Clarke connotes to death with imagery that implies the cormorant wears “funeral” feathers, and is close to dying in a natural world polluted by humans

• Clarke uses contrasts to show the sinister consequences of oil-spills:

  • The sand and sea are in  “shadow” of darkness, but there is an unnatural “iridescence” in the brightly-coloured oil

 Lines 7-9

Translation

• The poem continues its list of tributes, now describing coasts and borders

• The ocean leaves a “mortal stain” on the shoreline, which alludes to people who have died as a result of warfare, or at sea, and connotes to a “stain” of blood on the sand

• The next line names an individual who is unable to cross a border, and a soldier whose uniform is made of “fire”, which connotes to weapons carried by the military

Clarke’s intentions

• Clarke’s poem considers the impact of war on nature and humans

• The reference to “Ahmed” indicates a specific area of the world, alluding to twentieth century Middle Eastern conflicts, specifically the Gulf War

Lines 10-12

Translation

• The speaker lists a range of people who, perhaps unwittingly, contribute to war

• The list includes:

  • The people who make the weapons (“armourer” and “gunsmith”)

  • The soldier who joined the army to make friends

  • The sons of farmers who are only doing it for sense of camaraderie (“music”)

Clarke’s intentions

• Clarke intends to show how war is successful because of the many people who support it, even when they do not even realise its effects

• Describing a “fusilier” as a boy, and referring to “farmer’s sons” implies that they are naïve

• The reference to joining for the “company” and “music” alludes to war propaganda that encourages young boys to join the military to feel a sense of belonging

Lines 13-15

Translation

• A list of sea animals are included in the lament

• They have been silenced by a the noise (“thunder”) of a missile

Clarke’s intentions

• The juxtaposition of ideas about the natural world placed next to references to war creates a sinister effect, and presents Clarke’s ideas about how war damages nature:

  • Imagery connecting a “missile” with “thunder” highlights the power of war

  • The list of sea animals, including lesser-known ones, accentuates the far reaching effects of war

Lines 16-18

Translation

• The speaker pays tribute to a range of sea birds (the “tern”, “gull” and “wader”)

• The speaker says that the birds are slowly dying because they have to fly further and further to migrate

• The speaker describes again the covering of the sun, as well as a metaphorical smell of “anger”, which may represent the speaker’s feelings, or the way nature feels

Clarke’s intentions

• The list of sea birds struggling to adapt to environmental change emphasises the extent of the damage done to the natural order of things

• Again, Clarke refers to darkness and connotes to a funeral in a “veiled” sun:

  • Dark imagery, such as a smell of “anger”, creates an ominous tone

Lines 19-21

Translation

• The poem ends with descriptions of a world ravaged by war and bombs: the earth has been “burnt”, the ocean “scalded”, and wells of water are “blazing”

• Again, the speaker describes the sun becoming dark, but now it is entirely “put out”

• The final line suggests revenge is now the overriding concept for humanity, and that “language” has been burned into “ashes”, connoting to the end of civilisation and communication

Clarke’s intentions

• Clarke’s poem ends with a description of a dark landscape that has been scorched 

• The “earth”, the “sun”, the “ocean”, and “language” have been destroyed

• The ending is not so much a warning as an extended metaphor of a funeral, during which the speaker grieves a world already dead

Lament: Writer's methods

Writer's methods

Although this section is organised into form, structure, and language, it is worth remembering that all of these are considered “writer’s methods” in the CIE Literature for English poetry mark scheme. With this in mind, consider the poet’s choice of form (the way the poem looks or the type of poem it is), its structure (especially how it ends: is it cyclical or resolved?) and, of course, the language used to create effect and, thus, meaning.  

By focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas rather than identifying poetic techniques or translating quotes, you will gain far more marks. That is why all the analysis below is arranged by theme and includes Clarke’s intentions in terms of her choices of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

The poem ‘Lament’ is formed as an elegy: a tribute to something, or someone, that has died. In this way, the speaker provides a sorrowful list of all the things they mourn, which highlights the deadly effects of war on the natural world, as well as on humans.

Structure 

Gillian Clarke’s poem is a reflection on the vast and far-reaching effects of war on the natural world. The poem’s speaker gravely and passionately lists all the damaging consequences.  

Language 

‘Lament’ describes a modern, war-torn world in a sinister extended metaphor that suggests a funeral. The poem implies the death of nature, and of civilisation, as a result of constant conflict. 

Lament: Understanding the text

Understanding the text

All the questions in the CIE Literature for English exam encourage an informed, personal response, which means that you should develop a sound understanding of the poem’s themes, main ideas, settings, situations and events. This will help you to explore the writer’s intentions and methods. This section has been divided into two main themes that Gillian Clarke explores in 'Lament’:

• Humans and nature

• The cost of war

Humans and nature  

• Gillian Clarke, born in Wales in 1937, was the National Poet of Wales between 2008 and 2016

• Her poems often explore themes of nature, and the individual's relationship with their environment 

• Clarke has said her work is inspired by Romantic poet, William Wordsworth

• In the poem, she mourns the destruction of the natural world, sharing the Romantic concern for nature:

  • The poem begins paying tribute to a struggling “green turtle” who cannot find a safe place to lay her eggs because their usual breeding-grounds are “sick”

  • She refers to birds covered in oil, and “long migrations”

  • These images highlight the damaging effects oil spills, such as the one in the Gulf in 1991, described as one of the worst oil spills in history

  • The poem mentions endangered species to highlight how the spill devastated thousands of birds, fish, sea turtles, and marine mammals

The cost of war  

• Gillian Clarke’s poetry often explores the consequences of poorly-reported news and corrupted media, especially in connection to how it affects the natural world

• The poem ‘Lament’ alludes, Clarke has said, to the 1990-1991 Gulf War:

  • It mentions a man called “Ahmed” at a “closed border” with an armed soldier

  • It details the burning of earth and “blazing” water wells 

• The poem may also alludes to a photograph taken in 1991 by Kenneth Jarecke:

  • In the photograph, not published by American media or press, a man is on fire in the Iraqi desert as armed vehicles drive by

  • Clarke’s poem describes young boys and “sons” joining the army to make friends, and ends with a description of the “ashes” of language

  • She alludes to war propaganda and, perhaps, the death of truth