Sentiments of the "Lost Generation"
Sentiments of "Lost Generation"
Before the beginning of the Great War Era an optimistic attitude championing technological and educational progress was pervasive on a global scale. However, with the commencement of World War I, destruction was visited upon the world on a scale never before seen. In its wake, came a cultural realization that the progress made was not entirely for the good. This new sentiment is reflected in the poetry and literature of the time, a barometer for the true feelings of the "Lost Generation."
Many youths were drawn to the new war by a sense of adventure. Among them were many well-known poets and writers such as Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos. Warfare (prior to and during the early stages of World War I) was viewed by many as "romantic and noble…a struggle for honor and glory." (Nash p. 750) A prime example of this feeling can be seen in the writings of Alan Seeger, an American member of the French foreign legion. He writes, "you have no idea how beautiful it is to see...
750) Sadly there was nothing "beautiful" about the War as new mass destruction technology was introduced to the battlefield.
Before World War I, combat was an immensely personal activity. Soldiers challenged the opposing side by "charging" (full frontal assault). With the advances in technology it was no longer essential to be in close proximity to your opponent to overcome him. Heavy artillery (105's) were able to "hit targets many miles behind the lines." (Nash p 751) This new weapon coupled with other destructive advances such as the flame-thrower and mustard gas reeked havoc on the battlefield. It is hard to imagine a young soldier trapped in a trench, with inadequate provisions, deplorable health conditions, and artillery whizzing overhead, taking time to glorify the nobility and romanticism of his cause. The soldier's true experience from the battlefield was nothing of the sort.
The realism of war was captured in prose by for all eternity by an Italian soldier, Giuseepe Ungaretti. In his poem…
