Gillian Clarke, in her poem "Lament," has a strong message
for her reader.
The setting of the poem is during the Gulf
War in 1991; it is based upon photographs from the media that showed how terribly life
was impacted by war, starting from the very foundations of earth, nature (including the
oceans and the animals), and progressing to human beings (the soldiers and the natives
who have joined the war effort).
A lament is a way of
grieving or mourning, in this case, written as a poem. The word "for" used at the
beginning of the line indicates one of the things for which Clarke mourns in reviewing
the haunting images. This poem is first and foremost, a way for Clarke to express the
horror visited upon the land and people in the advent of
war.
Three things that Clarke mentions specifically in the
poem are:
"For the ocean's lap with its mortal stain" which
refers to blood spilled in the ocean.
"For the soldier in
his uniform of fire" refers to a soldier who has caught
fire.
"For...the ashes of language," according to Clarke,
refers to the words of peace that might have ended the war, which have been
destroyed.
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