November is a month of remembrance, starting with All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, and going through Veterans' Day. I think Veterans Day should be a different date, and November 11th should be changed back to Armistice Day, in honor of the end of that horror that wiped out a generation, including my favorite artist, Franz Marc,
who died in the abattoir called the Battle of Verdun. We should honor the people who died or were physically or mentally maimed in the Great War, aptly named not because it was wonderful, but because it was large and terrible. As the events of World War I start to move beyond living memory, I fear that they will be forgotten. There are several days to honor the memory of those who served in WWII: Pearl Harbor Day, V-E Day, V-J Day, Normandy Invasion Day. My only close relative to serve in a war was my paternal grandfather, who was conscripted into the Italian army in 1917 when he was in Italy attending the University of Naples. Fortunately, he had an uncle who was a general, so he served as a messenger, and never saw combat. We should never forgot the sacrifices of those who did see combat, and honor them with a separate day.
And now for something completely different.
By the end of November, all the deciduous trees have shed their leaves, their stark silhouettes standing as a remembrance of Spring and Summer's life and color. By the end of November, most of the flowers are gone as well, empty places in the garden leaving only a memory of color and fragrance.
Yes, I'm going all melancholy. Time to pull out the full-spectrum UV light box to fend off Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'm already on my second box.
The Franz Marc painting above is from 1911, titled "The Large Blue Horses."
(edit. For a soldier's view of the events of WWI, go to wwar1.blogspot.com.)
8 comments:
You are SO right, MMD. My first cousin, 23 at the time, died at Normady and my brother and brother-in-law both served in Korea. So yes, we will remember their service to our country this Veteran's Day.
BTW,that painting is one of my very faves as well. Imagine having the audacity to paint that in 1911 !
Hello Mr McGregor's daughter, I came over from the Garden Muse post to see what you'd posted. That painting is new to me - quite striking use of color, isn't it! How sad that the artist was lost in that war.
I've been collecting family history for years, and have heard some stories from the first world war from relatives who were alive then. You might find it interesting that in documents written between the wars, November 11th was sometimes referred to not as "Armistice Day" but as "Peace Day". They were so hopeful that it really was the War to End All Wars.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Carolyn Gail - I became a fan of Franz Marc after visiting the Lenbachaus in Munich, which has the largest collection of his paintings. Unfortunately, the Art Institute has only 1 Franz Marc painting, the Bewitched Mill.
Annie - thanks for stopping by. I agree that it is sad that Franz Marc died in such a senseless way, but by the time of his death, he was so traumatized by the war that he longed for death. It is interesting how naive people were about the "Great War." Now we know enough to dread the "War to End All Wars."
We are still having some sunny days, but I will getting my light box out soon,too. And replacing my summer wicker in my living room with the burgandy overstuffed furniture. And dreaming and planning for another gardening year. ;-)
A tremendously thought-provoking and moving post, MMD.
Also, I'd like to thank you for suggesting the light box--I've been going to try that for some time but there's a dizzying pile of info and options out there, and it's hard to know what to look for. What do you suggest based on your experience?
Connie - yes, we can't deny it any longer, winter is almost here. Now, where did I pack those high tech mittens?
Jodi - my light is from sunbox.com. In addition to the tabletop lamp like I have, they have those visors that were featured on an episode of "Northern Exposure." I hope you can find what you need.
What a melancholy and thought-provoking article, MMG.
Rather comforting that you all have the same gloomy feelings on the threshold of winter.
I always planned to get myself one of these sunboxes, but somehow never got around to it. The nearest I got is one of those bulbs you use for plants that I stuck into my writing desk lamp. If it's good for plants it should do its work on me,too. That's at least what I make myself believe.
Hi MMD,
Love this post. Very thoughtful. I've learned a great deal about WWI from some novels that a son and daughter wrote. They are set in England after the war, and the main character is an investigator who is haunted by the war. No, I'm not affiliated with these authors. They just made me think about that lost generation. The first book was "A Test of Wills." I've enjoyed your blog. Thank you.
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