Sevastopol: On Photographs of War
Encyclopedia
Sevastopol: On Photographs of War, by William Allen
, is a book of poems written in English
.
of 1854, the American Civil War
, World War I
, World War II
, Vietnam
and tragedies of unnamed wars today. Some of the photographers are famous — Mathew Brady
, Ansel Adams
; many are not; most are anonymous.
One photographer, Kevin Carter
, who snapped a picture of a starving child with a vulture waiting in the background — committed suicide. For each photograph, the poet, William Allen, allows himself a 100-word response. We look at the photograph on the left page, form our own impressions and then compare them with what the poet felt and expressed on the right page. In this way, one by one, we are led on a tour through sombre moments of history, yet at the same time come in touch with our private psychological and political mappings of life at risk. The power of word and image together makes Sevastopol
an unusual and moving poetic experience, linking us with those who did not escape the horrors and misery of man's most grisly occupation.
's book of poems, based on photographs of war and its aftermath and the truth, is a book of profound conscience. It conveys deep understanding of the inhumane folly of war and its useless, needless sufferings in vivid language which augments stark visual imagery. Sevastopol is the work of an outraged heart wrought with emotive power--an important book." Daniela Gioseffi
, author of Women and War.
William Allen
- Politicians :* William Allen , Canadian politician from Toronto* William Allen , American congressman from Ohio* William Allen , American politician from Ohio...
, is a book of poems written in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Synopsis
Poetic responses to photographs taken in times of war. The reader looks at the photo on the left page and measures the author's response on the right, meanwhile living through trying moments in history.Summary
Sevastopol is a response to photographs of war, from the earliest days of photography to the television broadcasts of our times. We see, in passing, the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
of 1854, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and tragedies of unnamed wars today. Some of the photographers are famous — Mathew Brady
Mathew Brady
Mathew B. Brady was one of the most celebrated 19th century American photographers, best known for his portraits of celebrities and his documentation of the American Civil War...
, Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
; many are not; most are anonymous.
One photographer, Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter was an award-winning South African photojournalist and member of the Bang-Bang Club.-Early life:...
, who snapped a picture of a starving child with a vulture waiting in the background — committed suicide. For each photograph, the poet, William Allen, allows himself a 100-word response. We look at the photograph on the left page, form our own impressions and then compare them with what the poet felt and expressed on the right page. In this way, one by one, we are led on a tour through sombre moments of history, yet at the same time come in touch with our private psychological and political mappings of life at risk. The power of word and image together makes Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
an unusual and moving poetic experience, linking us with those who did not escape the horrors and misery of man's most grisly occupation.
Reviews
"William AllenWilliam Allen
- Politicians :* William Allen , Canadian politician from Toronto* William Allen , American congressman from Ohio* William Allen , American politician from Ohio...
's book of poems, based on photographs of war and its aftermath and the truth, is a book of profound conscience. It conveys deep understanding of the inhumane folly of war and its useless, needless sufferings in vivid language which augments stark visual imagery. Sevastopol is the work of an outraged heart wrought with emotive power--an important book." Daniela Gioseffi
Daniela Gioseffi
Daniela Gioseffi is a poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and performer who won the American Book Award in 1990 for Women on War; International Writings from Antiquity to the Present...
, author of Women and War.