Table of Contents

Lesson 2 – Cruelties of Conflict

A. Look at the pictures. What do they show?

⊗Answer⇒

Possible Images and Their Interpretations:

War-torn Landscapes:
- Destroyed Buildings: These images can symbolize the destruction and devastation caused by conflict, highlighting the loss of homes, infrastructure, and cultural heritage.
- Barren Fields: This can represent the disruption of agriculture and the subsequent food shortages that often occur in conflict zones.
- Rubble: Piles of rubble can signify the collapse of societies and the chaos resulting from conflict.
Victims of Conflict:
- Injured or Displaced People: These images can evoke empathy and compassion, showing the human cost of war and the suffering endured by those caught in the crossfire.
- Refugees: Images of refugees fleeing conflict can highlight the forced displacement and loss of security experienced by millions worldwide.
- Children Affected by War: Depicting children in war-torn environments can emphasize the vulnerability of the young and the long-lasting impacts of conflict on future generations.
Military Activity:
- Soldiers: Images of soldiers can represent the human element of conflict, highlighting the sacrifices made by those involved in armed forces.
- Tanks and Other Military Equipment: These images can symbolize the destructive power of war and the potential for further escalation.
Human Rights Abuses:
- Torture: Depictions of torture can expose the inhumane treatment suffered by victims of conflict, highlighting the violation of basic human rights.
- Detention: Images of detention centers can reveal the deprivation of freedom and the psychological trauma experienced by those imprisoned.
- Other Violations: Images can also depict other human rights abuses, such as forced displacement, sexual violence, and the use of child soldiers.

By examining these images, viewers can gain a deeper understanding of the devastating consequences of conflict and the human suffering it causes. These images can serve as a powerful tool for raising awareness, advocating for peace, and promoting humanitarian aid.

B. Cruelties of conflict affect people in different ways.

⊗Answer⇒

As it has economic impacts, it has psychological, sociological, or geographical impacts too. Read here two poems on the cruelties of conflict and do the activities that follow.

Cruelties of conflict affect people in different ways.

Cruelties of conflict impact people in multiple dimensions:

Economic Impacts: Conflicts can lead to the destruction of infrastructure, loss of employment, and disruption of economic activities. This results in poverty and reduced living standards for affected populations.
Psychological Impacts: Individuals exposed to conflict often experience trauma, stress, and mental health issues. The constant threat of violence and loss can lead to long-term psychological scars.
Sociological Impacts: Conflicts can disrupt social structures, displace communities, and break down social cohesion. This leads to strained relationships, weakened community bonds, and increased social fragmentation.
Geographical Impacts: Conflict can alter landscapes and environments, causing destruction of natural resources, displacement of populations, and changes in land use patterns.

The poems provided will further explore these aspects of conflict, illustrating the various ways in which conflict affects individuals and societies.

Poem 1: Alone by Maya Angelou

[Maya Angelou, an American poet, songwriter, playwright, film director and autobiographer was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 4 April, 1928. She spent much of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, with her paternal grandmother. When she was eight, she became a victim of abuse by someone close to her mother. The experience left her traumatized, and for several years, she could not speak. In 1940, Angelou moved to San Francisco, and then to New York, where she began her literary career.

Maya Angelou had a remarkable range of interests and careers. She was a dancer, a singer and an editor. In addition, she also acted on stage and in the film. But writing was what she enjoyed most. She was a popular poet praised for the way she incorporated social and political themes in her poems without compromising their poetic and stylistic qualities.

She wrote her poems in a language that is known as the Black vernacular, a language the black people in America use in their everyday life. Her poems often deal with serious matters but they also use humour and give out hope. Angelou’s experience of racial discrimination in her childhood and her involvement in civil right movement in the 1960s made her a committed campaigner for human rights, social justice and peace. She died on 28 May, 2014 at the age of 86.

Here is a poem Angelou wrote about human relationship, more particularly, togetherness, without which our lives become meaningless, no matter how wealthy or well-connected we are. Read the poem and try to find out why she stressed the words ‘alone’ and ‘nobody’. You will see that she has used these words ironically to bring home the message that no one should be alone, that human society depends on healthy relationships among its members.]

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out’ here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can’t use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They’ve got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I’ll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
‘Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

[*banshee: In Irish legend, a female spirit whose wails or shrieks herald the death of a family member]
[sing the blues: feeling depressed or discouraged]
[*to have a heart of stone: to be unkind, uncaring or cruel]
[*gonna: informal use, means ‘going to’]

C. Now briefly answer the following questions.

a. What does the word ‘here’ in line 10 mean?
b. The poet believes that ‘nobody can make it out here alone.’ Why does she say she believes she is not wrong?
c. What does the poet mean when she says “The race of man is suffering’? Suffering from what?
d. Expensive doctors, according to the poet, cannot cure hearts of stone. Why?
e. Is the poem one of hope or despair?

⊗Answer⇒

a. What does the word ‘here’ in line 10 mean?

The word ‘here’ refers to the current situation or environment in which people find themselves, emphasizing the challenges and difficulties faced in their present circumstances.

b. The poet believes that ‘nobody can make it out here alone.’ Why does she say she believes she is not wrong?

The poet believes she is not wrong because she argues that human life is inherently interconnected, and no one can successfully navigate the struggles and hardships of life in isolation. The poet uses repetition and examples to highlight that everyone needs support and relationships to overcome difficulties.

c. What does the poet mean when she says “The race of man is suffering”? Suffering from what?

When the poet says “The race of man is suffering,” she refers to the widespread human suffering caused by conflict, hardship, and emotional distress. This suffering includes the impacts of war, loss, and isolation.

d. Expensive doctors, according to the poet, cannot cure hearts of stone. Why?

According to the poet, expensive doctors cannot cure hearts of stone because the issue is not physical but emotional and moral. A heart of stone represents a lack of compassion and empathy, which cannot be addressed by medical treatment alone.

e. Is the poem one of hope or despair?

The poem is one of despair. It reflects on the harsh reality that despite material wealth and medical resources, individuals cannot overcome their fundamental need for human connection and support. The repetitive emphasis on being “alone” and the depiction of widespread suffering suggest a somber view of human isolation and the limitations of material solutions.

D. Find out a synonym each of ‘moan’, ‘cure’ and ‘expensive’ and make sentences with them.

⊗Answer⇒

Moan
- Synonym: Grumble
- Sentence: Despite the improvements in the office, Tom continued to grumble about the new policies.
Cure
- Synonym: Remedy
- Sentence: The herbal tea was a natural remedy for her insomnia.
Expensive
- Synonym: Costly
- Sentence: The designer handbag was too costly for her budget.

E. What type of conflict do you find in this poem? Justify your statement.

⊗Answer⇒

The poem “Alone” by Maya Angelou primarily reflects sociological conflict.

Justification:

Human Relationship: The poem stresses the importance of human connection and suggests that no one can thrive or “make it out” alone. This highlights the social nature of human existence and the conflicts that arise from isolation or lack of support within society.
Economic and Social Disparities: Angelou addresses issues of wealth and poverty, mentioning millionaires who still suffer emotionally and socially. This underscores a conflict between economic status and personal fulfillment, pointing out that material wealth does not alleviate the fundamental need for human relationships.
Universal Struggle: The poet mentions the “race of man” suffering, which indicates a broader, sociological conflict affecting humanity as a whole, stemming from both internal and external struggles.

F. Read the first stanza of another poem on conflict and write a paragraph (about 100 words) on how war ‘darkens’ the lands where it rages.

⊗Answer⇒

In the first stanza of W. H. Auden’s poem “September 1, 1939,” the poet illustrates how war casts a profound darkness over the world. The stanza reflects a sense of uncertainty and fear as the speaker sits in a dimly lit space, observing the chaotic impact of war. The “waves of anger and fear” that circulate over both the “bright and darkened lands of the earth” highlight the pervasive and indiscriminate nature of conflict. The “unmentionable odour of death” that taints the night signifies the grim and oppressive atmosphere war creates. This imagery underscores how war disrupts not only physical landscapes but also the moral and emotional fabric of society, leaving a lasting scar on all aspects of life.

Poem 2: From ‘September 1, 1939’ by W. H. Auden

I sit on one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire.
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth,
Obsessing our private lives;
The unmentionable odour of death
Offends the September night.