In Parenthesis (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: David Jones
- First Published: 1937
- Type of Work: Epic
- Genres: Poetry, Narrative poetry
- Subjects: France or French people, 1910’s, England or English people, Violence, War, Death or dying, World War I, Military life or service, Soldiers, Battles
The Poem
The 187-page poem In Parenthesis is in seven sections, and it tells the story of a group of British soldiers of all ranks as they proceed from England to the trench warfare at the battle of the Somme. The action, therefore, is set during World War I but extends only from December, 1915, to July, 1916.
The preface and the thirty-five pages of footnotes, both written by David Jones, should be considered a part of the poem. In the preface, David Jones explains that the title refers, first, to the war itself as a “space between,” a turning aside from the...
[The entire page is 2181 words long]
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