Civilization: Difference between revisions
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genre="Poetry" | genre="Poetry" | ||
publisher="The Century Co." | publisher="The Century Co." | ||
journal="Songs for the New | journal="Songs for the New Age" | ||
page_range="9-10" | page_range="9-10" | ||
/> | /> | ||
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<paragraph keywords="car, car part"> | <paragraph keywords="car, car part"> | ||
<poem> | <poem> | ||
Civilization! | |||
Everybody kind and gentle, and men giving up | Everybody kind and gentle, and men giving up | ||
their seats in the car for the women . . . | their seats in the car for the women... | ||
What an ideal! | What an ideal! | ||
How bracing! | How bracing! | ||
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Is this what we want? | Is this what we want? | ||
Have so many generations lived and died for this? | Have so many generations lived and died for this? | ||
There have been Crusades, persecutions, wars, and | There have been Crusades, persecutions, wars, and majestic arts, | ||
There have been murders and passions and horrors since man was in the jungle... | |||
There have been murders and passions and horrors | |||
What was this blood-toll for? | What was this blood-toll for? | ||
Just so that everybody could have a full belly and be | Just so that everybody could have a full belly and be well-mannered? | ||
</poem> | </poem> | ||
</paragraph> | </paragraph> | ||
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<poem> | <poem> | ||
But let us not fool ourselves: | But let us not fool ourselves: | ||
This civilization is mostly varnish very thinly laid | This civilization is mostly varnish very thinly laid on... | ||
on... | Take any newspaper any morning: scan through it... | ||
Take any newspaper any morning: scan through | |||
it... | |||
Rape, murder, villany, and picking and stealing: | Rape, murder, villany, and picking and stealing: | ||
The mob that tore a negro to pieces, the men that | The mob that tore a negro to pieces, the men that ravished a young girl: | ||
ravished a young girl: | The safe-blowing gang and the fat cowardly promoter who stole people’s savings... | ||
The safe-blowing gang and the fat cowardly promoter | Just scan it through: this news of civilization... | ||
who stole people’s savings... | |||
Just scan it through: this news of civilization | |||
</poem> | </poem> | ||
</paragraph> | </paragraph> | ||
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<paragraph keywords=""> | <paragraph keywords=""> | ||
<poem> | <poem> | ||
Let us not be afraid of ourselves, but face ourselves | Let us not be afraid of ourselves, but face ourselves and confess what we are: | ||
and confess what we are: | |||
Let us go backward a while that we may go forward: | Let us go backward a while that we may go forward: | ||
This is an excellent age for insurrection, revolt, and | This is an excellent age for insurrection, revolt, and the reddest of revolutions... | ||
the reddest of revolutions. | |||
</poem> | </poem> | ||
</paragraph> | </paragraph> | ||
</annotations> | </annotations> | ||
Latest revision as of 16:06, 16 July 2024
| Author | Oppenheim, James |
|---|---|
| Genre | Poetry |
| Journal or Book | Songs for the New Age |
| Publisher | The Century Co. |
| Year of Publication | 1914 |
| Pages | 9-10 |
| Additional information | - |
Civilization!
Everybody kind and gentle, and men giving up
their seats in the car for the women...
What an ideal!
How bracing!
Is this what we want?
Have so many generations lived and died for this?
There have been Crusades, persecutions, wars, and majestic arts,
There have been murders and passions and horrors since man was in the jungle...
What was this blood-toll for?
Just so that everybody could have a full belly and be well-mannered?
But let us not fool ourselves:
This civilization is mostly varnish very thinly laid on...
Take any newspaper any morning: scan through it...
Rape, murder, villany, and picking and stealing:
The mob that tore a negro to pieces, the men that ravished a young girl:
The safe-blowing gang and the fat cowardly promoter who stole people’s savings...
Just scan it through: this news of civilization...
Away then, with soft ideals:
Brace yourself with bitterness:
A drink of that biting liquor, the Truth...
Let us not be afraid of ourselves, but face ourselves and confess what we are:
Let us go backward a while that we may go forward:
This is an excellent age for insurrection, revolt, and the reddest of revolutions...
