Poetry for Peace and Unity

By Francesca Merlo

“A voice from the dark called out,
‘The poets must give us
imagination of peace, to oust the intense, familiar
imagination of disaster. Peace, not only
the absence of war.’”

Denise Levertov makes a simple request to poets, to use their words wisely and help overshadow the view of disaster to which, today, we have become so accustomed. Her appeal echoes the theme of this year’s World Poetry Day: “Poetry for Peace and Unity”. She is not the only poet to have wished for “peace, not only the absence of war”, nor is she the first to challenge the glorification of disaster. 

As Levertov writes with clarity, others have similarly condemned the madness of war and its normalisation. "O Bomb I love you / I want to kiss your clank eat your boom," writes Gregory Corso. With this irony, Corso, too, highlights the tragic absurdity of conflict, questioning the allure of violence, so easily adopted by mankind. "Bomb you are as cruel as man makes you", he continues.

While political leaders in the West talk about rearming and stocking up on weapons, the toll of war continues to rise. Yet, poets across the globe persist in advocating for peace and on the 21st of March, World Poetry Day shines a light on the role of art, including poetry, as a power for peace and re-humanisation.

Leaders, too, are speaking out in horror. While some vow to wage war until all their "victory goals" are achieved, others are decrying the barbarism behind violent plans and violent words. Pope Francis, recovering in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, recently made an impassioned appeal. After noting that from hospital, feeling frail, "war appears to be even more absurd", in a letter to the editor of an Italian newspaper he wrote: “We must disarm words, to disarm minds and disarm the Earth.” By disarming words, as poets do, the transformative power of language can transcend barriers and unite us in a shared commitment to peace. 

“The God of peace is never glorified by human violence", writes Trappist monk and poet  Thomas Merton.

Poetry as a universal language

Words are a powerful universal tool and when used properly they can have the power to shape a peaceful future for humanity - whether the quiet contemplation of a sonnet, or the collective recitation of verses that call for justice, poetry speaks directly to the heart, inviting us to dream of a world where unity triumphs over division. Religious verse has long played a role in fostering this sense of solidarity. From the Psalms of David “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” - to the mystical poetry of Rumi - “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray” - the longing for divine connection and human unity is the fil-rouge that connects us all. Poetry is song and prayer, and a careful reflection of the world in which we live. 

Saint Francis of Assisi, who lent his name to the Pope, wrote one of the most beloved poetic prayers, the Prayer for Peace, embodying the essence of Christian unity and human reconciliation:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy."

Equally eternal are the poems of Mahmoud Darwish, who, from the age of 17, began recounting the suffering of the 1948 Nakba in Palestine. Now a symbol of Palestinian resistance, and even considered Palestine’s national poet, Darwish witnessed war throughout his life yet always spoke with gentleness. His simple plea is as relevant today as ever before:

As you prepare your breakfast, think of others (do not forget the pigeons’ food).
As you wage your wars, think of others (do not forget those who seek peace).

Darwish’s words, studied and gentle, are no romanticisation of war, and he stands side by side with other war poets who denounce this glorification:  

"My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.", writes Wilfred Owen.

Even Pablo Neruda, amongst the most romantic of poets, used his words to very simply to Explain a Few Things:

"Come and see the blood in the streets,
come and see the blood in the streets,
come and see the blood in the streets!"

A call to action

Let us, then, continue to write, to speak, and to share poetry as a means of building peace and of sharing the truth. Let us be selective of the words we choose in a world in which the clatter of weapons threatens to drown out the cry for peace. Poetry remains a vital force, reminding us that peace is not just an ideal, but something that we must actively cultivate and protect through our words. After all, what we do and what we say shape us. The “subtle truth”, as Rumi said, is that: “Whatever you love you are.”