Overview of "Lament" by Gillian Clarke

Context

• "Lament" was written by Welsh poet Gillian Clarke during the Gulf War (1990-1991).
• The war began with Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invading Kuwait to control its oil reserves.

Themes and Imagery

• The poem mourns human conflict and environmental destruction.
• Clarke amalgamates nature's suffering with human violence.
• Use of imagery connects natural and tragic war consequences.

Structure and Style

• Composed of seven tercets (three-line stanzas), also known as tets.
• Written in free verse without a fixed metrical or rhythmic structure.
• Each line is end-stopped with punctuation, mirroring a prayer or elegy.

Poetic Techniques

• Use of anaphora with the word "for," repeated 11 times at stanza starts and 4 times within.
• Lyrical diction with musicality and emotional resonance.
• Rich figurative language: no similes, extensive use of metaphor and personification.

Key Images and Metaphors

1. Environmental Harm:

   • Green turtle struggles to nest in oil-soaked sand.
   • Poignant burden of the turtle's eggs amidst pollution.
   • Oil-covered cormorant symbolizing mourning (funeral silk).

2. Human Tragedy:

   • Named victims like Ahmed at closed borders.
   • Soldiers in 'uniforms of fire' indicating death and war horror.

3. Wider Impact:

   • Gunsmiths and armorers profiting from war are included in lament.
   • Victims beyond soldiers and civilians, including those implicitly supporting war.

4. Ecological Destruction:

   • Hook-beaked turtles, dolphins, whales suffering sensory disruption.
   • Oil's iridescent but deadly sheen on sand and sea.

5. Symbolism and Allusion:

   • Vengeful and relentless nature of war’s damage.
   • Personification of nature evoking victimhood.

Final Concluding Imagery

• Apocalyptic vision with terms like "burnt Earth" and "Sun put out."
• "Ashes of language," indicating death of truth amidst war.

Tone

• Shift from tangible imagery to abstract philosophical contemplation.
• Tone of grief and reverence reflecting on victims of war and environmental devastation.

Conclusion

• Through haunting and solemn imagery, Clarke's "Lament" captures the extensive and diverse impact of war on both humanity and the natural world, encouraging reflection on the destructive cycles of conflict.