Mental Cases Comments
Who are these? Why sit they here in twilight?
Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows,
Drooping tongues from jays that slob their relish,
Baring teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked?
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This poem is just one of the few remaining examples of a Soldier's point of view during the first world war. Extremely helpful and I believe it helped us further research PTSD
Historically his knowledge is impressive. PTSD was not really a thing during world war one. Or it had no true form of treatment. I believe this is a great representation of the horror of the trenches.
It isn't that it wasn't a thing so much that it wasn't recognized as something you would gain throught the conditions and horror of War and was instead interpreted as Cowardice. There was no treatment at the time as far as I know though.
This poem is misquoted in two places, both in the lines Drooping tongues from jays that slob their relish, / Baring teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked? The correct quote is Drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish, / Baring teeth that leer like skulls' tongues wicked? both jays and teeth are incorrect.
Ah, here is the catastrophe of war: men traumatized beyond endurance, destroyed for life. Is death preferable? What grotesque past destroyed their minds? What pathetic future enslaves them, these individuals so devastated and haunted. War has no purpose but destruction - so wrong!
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7/23/2025 2:59:43 AM # 1.0.0
slightly.....gay Sorry but that's the only way to describe it