Spokesmen for Speechless Sufferers: An Analysis of Trauma and Division in World War I Poetry and Vietnam War Protest Music

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Title: Spokesmen for Speechless Sufferers: An Analysis of Trauma and Division in World War I Poetry and Vietnam War Protest Music
Author: Nicole Caldwell
Faculty Sponsor: Henry Hughes; Gavin Keulks
Date: 6/30/2019
Abstract: This project analyzes how trauma and social protest have affected the lives and works of World War I poet, Wilfred Owen, and protest songwriter, Pete Seeger. Both were influential in their time, and their compositions powerfully express the themes of trauma caused by the horrors of war, and they demonstrate the social divide arising out of disillusionment. This thesis also includes my own poetry (see appendix). This allows me to better connect with the artists who have come before, and perhaps inspire other writers to come forth and share their experiences. The project offers close examinations of Owen’s poetry and Seeger’s Vietnam War era protest songs, concerning both the writers’ arguments and connections to their personal and social trauma in the 1910s and 1960s-io0s. This thesis reminds readers of the importance of poetry and music in helping people overcome the worst evils and devastations of war and how Owen and Seeger accomplished this not just during their lives but also after their deaths. These artists left a powerful legacy spanning wars and generations, times of hate and times of love.
Type: Text; Honors Thesis
Department: Honors Program
Language: eng
Rights: Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 06/01/2023, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Identifier: honors_theses/202