The Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol resemble the Greeks fighting at Thermopylae, bringing to mind an A.E. Housman poem.
Tag Archives: Ukraine invasion
2 Battles: Thermopylae and Mariupol
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Oracles", A.E. Housman, Battle of Mariupol, Heroism Comments closed
They Fell with Their Faces to the Foe
Binyon’s “To the Fallen” is often cited at war memorials. It is only too applicable to those Ukrainians opposing the Russian invasion.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "For the Fallen", Anzac Day, Heroism, Laurence Binyon Comments closed
A Russian Poet’s View of Ukraine
Brodsky’s “On Ukrainian Independence” captures the depth of Russia’s feeling for Ukraine–which explains a lot.
In Ukraine, a Battle between 2 Poets
The war in Ukraine can partly be explained as a war between two poets, Pushkin and Shevchenko.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "On Ukrainian Independence", Alexander Pushkin, Russian imperialism, Taras Shevchenko Comments closed
Putin Is Giving War a Bad Name
Some who support fascists would prefer that they stay clean. Brecht has something to say about them.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "War Has Been Given a Bad Name", Bertolt Brecht, Holocaust, Vladimir Putin, World War II Comments closed
Brecht: Don’t Become Numb to Suffering
Brecht warns against becoming numb to the world’s horrors.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "When Evil-Doing Comes Like Falling Rain", Bertolt Brecht, Bram Stoker, Bucha, Dracula, Vladimir Putin Comments closed
Authors as Nationalist Symbols
Perhaps Russia has a sentimental attachment to Ukraine because many of its authors have loved its cities, especially Odessa.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Isaac Babel, Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian authors Comments closed
The Very Model of a Modern Russian General
Tweeters have been busy finding literary allusions to capture the incompetence of Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Gilbert and Sullivan, Importance of Being Earnest, Leo Tolstoy, Oscar Wilde, Pirates of Penzance, War and Peace, William S. Gilbert Comments closed
Could “Dover Beach” Prevent a Rape?
McEwan’s novel “Saturday” shows Arnold’s “Dover Beach” forestalling a rape.
