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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from In Flanders Fields, and Other Poems, by John McCrae

Either 'in esse' or 'in posse' John McCrae had "always been going to the
wars." At fourteen years of age he joined the Guelph Highland Cadets,
and rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. As his size and strength
increased he reverted to the ranks and transferred to the Artillery. In
due time he rose from gunner to major. The formal date of his "Gazette"
is 17-3-02 as they write it in the army; but he earned his rank in South
Africa.

War was the burden of his thought; war and death the theme of his verse.
At the age of thirteen we find him at a gallery in Nottingham, writing
this note: "I saw the picture of the artillery going over the trenches
at Tel-el-Kebir. It is a good picture; but there are four teams on the
guns. Perhaps an extra one had to be put on." If his nomenclature was
not correct, the observation of the young artillerist was exact. Such
excesses were not permitted in his father's battery in Guelph, Ontario.
During this same visit his curiosity led him into the House of Lords,
and the sum of his written observation is, "When someone is speaking no
one seems to listen at all."

His mother I never knew. Canada is a large place. With his father I
had four hours' talk from seven to eleven one June evening in London
in 1917. At the time I was on leave from France to give the Cavendish
Lecture, a task which demanded some thought; and after two years in the
army it was a curious sensation--watching one's mind at work again.
The day was Sunday. I had walked down to the river to watch the flowing
tide. To one brought up in a country of streams and a moving sea the
curse of Flanders is her stagnant waters. It is little wonder the exiles
from the Judaean hillsides wept beside the slimy River.

Explanation ​

This excerpt is from the preface to In Flanders Fields, and Other Poems (1919), a posthumous collection of poetry by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian physician, soldier, and poet best known for his iconic war poem "In Flanders Fields" (1915). The preface, likely written by an unnamed friend or editor (possibly Sir Andrew Macphail, a fellow Canadian and close associate of McCrae), provides biographical and thematic context for McCrae’s life and work, emphasizing his lifelong fascination with war, military discipline, and mortality.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the excerpt, focusing on its content, themes, literary devices, and significance, with an emphasis on close reading.

1. Context & Biographical Background ​

The passage serves as an introduction to McCrae’s military and poetic identity, framing him as a man whose life was inextricably linked to war. Key details include:

  • Early Military Involvement: McCrae’s fascination with war began in childhood. At 14, he joined the Guelph Highland Cadets, rising to 1st Lieutenant before later transferring to the Artillery, where he advanced to Major by 1902 (after service in the Second Boer War in South Africa).
  • Observational Precision: Even as a 13-year-old, he critically analyzed military art (noting the incorrect number of horses pulling artillery in a painting of the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir, 1882), revealing his meticulous, soldierly mindset.
  • Skepticism of Politics: His brief observation of the House of Lords ("no one seems to listen at all") suggests a disdain for political posturing, contrasting with his respect for military discipline.

The preface establishes McCrae as a soldier-poet—a man who lived war before writing about it, lending authenticity to his later works.

2. Themes ​

A. War as a Defining Force ​

  • The opening line—"Either 'in esse' or 'in posse' John McCrae had always been going to the wars"—uses Latin philosophical terms:
    • "In esse" (in actuality) vs. "in posse" (in potentiality).
    • This suggests war was inevitable for McCrae, whether as a realized destiny or an inherent calling.
  • His military career is traced from boyhood to adulthood, reinforcing war as a lifelong preoccupation.

B. Death & Mortality ​

  • The line "war and death the theme of his verse" foreshadows the elegiac tone of McCrae’s poetry, particularly "In Flanders Fields", which grapples with loss, sacrifice, and remembrance.
  • The reference to "stagnant waters" in Flanders (contrasted with the "flowing tide" of London) symbolizes decay and stasis, mirroring the futility and horror of trench warfare.

C. Discipline vs. Chaos ​

  • McCrae’s correction of the painting’s inaccuracies (too many horses on the guns) reflects his respect for military precision.
  • His father’s artillery battery in Guelph is implied to be a model of order, contrasting with the chaos of war (e.g., the Boer War, later WWI).

D. Exile & Displacement ​

  • The biblical allusion to the Judaean exiles weeping by the rivers of Babylon (Psalm 137) compares Canadian soldiers in Flanders to displaced mourners, emphasizing the psychological toll of war.
  • The "curse of Flanders"—its stagnant, slimy waters—symbolizes the unnatural, suffocating environment of the Western Front, far removed from the natural beauty of Canada.

3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices ​

A. Juxtaposition & Contrast ​

  • War vs. Peace:
    • McCrae’s military rigor (correcting artillery details) vs. the indifference of politicians (House of Lords).
    • The flowing Thames (life, movement) vs. the stagnant Flanders waters (death, decay).
  • Youth vs. Experience:
    • The 13-year-old’s precise observation foreshadows the adult soldier’s poetic voice.

B. Symbolism ​

  • Water Imagery:
    • The Thames’ tide = natural order, renewal.
    • Flanders’ stagnant waters = death, stagnation, the unnatural horror of war.
  • Military Rank Progression:
    • His rise from cadet to major symbolizes growth, discipline, and inevitability—war was his destiny.

C. Allusion ​

  • Tel-el-Kebir (1882): A British victory in Egypt, referencing imperial warfare and McCrae’s early exposure to military history.
  • House of Lords: Critiques political detachment from the realities of war.
  • Judaean Exiles (Psalm 137): Links Canadian soldiers’ suffering to biblical lament, universalizing their grief.

D. Irony & Understatement ​

  • "If his nomenclature was not correct, the observation of the young artillerist was exact."
    • Irony: A boy’s technical error doesn’t undermine his sharp eye for detail—a trait that would define his poetry.
  • "When someone is speaking no one seems to listen at all."
    • Understated critique of political apathy, contrasting with the attentiveness required in war.

E. Sensory & Emotional Language ​

  • "Curse of Flanders", "slimy River": Tactile, visceral imagery evoking disgust and despair.
  • "Watching one’s mind at work again": After two years in the army, the narrator (likely Macphail) feels estranged from intellectual life, highlighting the psychological numbing of war.

4. Significance of the Passage ​

A. Framing McCrae’s Poetry ​

  • The preface sets the stage for reading McCrae’s poems as authentic soldierly testimony, not just literary works.
  • His lifelong military engagement lends credibility to his war poetry, particularly "In Flanders Fields", which humanizes soldierly sacrifice.

B. The Soldier-Poet Archetype ​

  • McCrae is presented as the embodiment of the soldier-poet—a figure who lives war and translates its horrors into art.
  • This duality was central to WWI literature, seen also in Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Rupert Brooke.

C. Critique of War & Politics ​

  • The passage subtly condemns:
    • Political indifference (House of Lords).
    • The dehumanizing effects of war (stagnant waters, exile).
  • McCrae’s poetry, like Owen’s, would later challenge romanticized notions of war.

D. Canadian Identity & War ​

  • As a Canadian officer, McCrae’s perspective was distinct from British poets.
  • The reference to Guelph, Ontario, and the contrasting landscapes (Canada’s "streams and moving sea" vs. Flanders’ stagnation) ground his experience in national identity.

*5. Connection to "In Flanders Fields" ​

While the excerpt doesn’t quote the poem, it foreshadows its themes:

  • "War and death the theme of his verse" → The poem’s focus on fallen soldiers.
  • "Stagnant waters" → The decaying battlefield where poppies grow.
  • Discipline & Duty → The poem’s call to "take up our quarrel with the foe."
  • Exile & Lament → The speaking dead in the poem, like the weeping Judaean exiles.

The preface prepares the reader to see "In Flanders Fields" not just as a patriotic poem, but as the culmination of a lifetime of military reflection.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

This excerpt is more than biography—it is a literary and philosophical introduction to McCrae’s work. By emphasizing his lifelong relationship with war, the preface:

  1. Authenticates his voice as a poet who knew war intimately.
  2. Sets up key themes (death, duty, displacement) that recur in his poetry.
  3. Contrasts the order of military life with the chaos of war, a tension central to his most famous poem.
  4. Universalizes the soldier’s experience through biblical and historical allusions.

Ultimately, the passage invites readers to see McCrae’s poetry as both personal and collective—a soldier’s testimony and a nation’s elegy.

Would you like a deeper analysis of any specific section or its connection to "In Flanders Fields" itself?