Men with God on their side
fly high in the burning skies.
Napalm death pours down
on little children fleeing in terror
their tiny bodies burning.
Rotting corpses cover
all the fields for miles around
but the man with the German twang
commands his men to drop more bombs
and for that he wins the Nobel prize.
In a walled city in another country
men who dress in red and black
live and pray in gilded churches.
They feast on lamb and wine
to the sound of children sobbing
and ignore the blood and tears
staining their feather beds.
They too are men who claim
to have God on their side.
A few words about the poem…
Anti-War Poems: A Reflection on “Suffer the Little Children'"
"Suffer the Little Children" presents a stark and harrowing portrayal of the innocent victims of war, examining the devastating consequences of conflict on those least able to defend themselves. Part of the anti-war poems collection, it intertwines vivid imagery and biting irony to highlight the brutality of war, particularly the suffering inflicted upon children. This piece fits within the broader tradition of poetry that seeks to give voice to the voiceless, underscoring the moral corruption inherent in the pursuit of power and the hypocrisy often present among those who justify their actions through religious or ideological fervour.
The poem opens with a chilling contrast: “Men with God on their side / fly high in the burning skies.” This juxtaposition of divine endorsement with acts of violence serves to critique the way religion or ideology is often invoked to justify the most heinous acts. The subsequent imagery of “Napalm death” raining down on “little children fleeing in terror” starkly captures the horror experienced by the innocent victims of war. The poet’s choice to focus on the children’s “tiny bodies burning” intensifies the emotional impact, illustrating the unimaginable pain and fear suffered by those caught in the crossfire of conflicts they neither started nor understand.
The poem’s second stanza continues this theme of moral decay, as the fields are described as being covered in “rotting corpses,” yet the figure of authority—a man “with the German twang”—remains unmoved. His command to “drop more bombs” despite the carnage below not only emphasises his indifference to human suffering but also critiques the larger systems of power that reward such callousness. The bitter irony of this man receiving a Nobel Prize serves as a scathing indictment of the hypocrisy often found within institutions that claim to uphold peace and justice, yet are complicit in the perpetuation of violence.
In the final stanza, the poem shifts focus to another group of men, this time depicted as residing in a “walled city” and dressed in “red and black.” These figures, who live in luxury and piety, are starkly contrasted with the suffering of the children whose cries they ignore. The imagery of “blood and tears” staining their “feather beds” serves as a powerful metaphor for the moral and spiritual corruption that results from turning a blind eye to the suffering of others. The poem suggests that these men, like those dropping bombs, claim to have “God on their side,” thus critiquing the broader societal and religious structures that allow such atrocities to occur.
In this exploration of the innocent victims of war, "Suffer the Little Children" confronts the reader with the brutal realities of conflict and the moral failings of those who perpetrate and perpetuate violence. The poem’s unflinching depiction of suffering, coupled with its critique of hypocrisy and the misuse of religious justification, positions it as a powerful commentary on the human cost of war. By focusing on the plight of children, the poem underscores the profound injustice faced by those who are most vulnerable, offering a poignant reflection on the true cost of conflict. Through its vivid and unsettling imagery, the poem forces the reader to confront the uncomfortable truth that, in war, it is often the innocent who suffer the most.
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