I hear an army charging upon the land, And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees: Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand, Disdaining the reins, with fluttering whips, the charioteers. They cry unto the night their battle-name: I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter. They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding flame, Clanging, clanging upon the heart as upon an anvil. They come shaking in triumph their long, green hair: They come out of the sea and run shouting by the shore. My heart, have you no wisdom thus to despair? My love, my love, my love, why have you left me alone?
By James Joyce. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1882. A major figure in avant-garde modernism and twentieth-century English literature, he is the author of Collected Poems (The Black Sun Press, 1936) and Ulysses (Shakespeare and Company, 1922), among others.
Task 1: Here you have some presentations that will help you understand the poem.
Task 2: Watch this video to learn about war poetry. Make a list of the most important characteristics of this literary movement. What do images show?Make connections with the poem you have read.
TASK 3: Prepare a video with images to show and describe what is going on in these beautifully written stanzas.
Example
