Firstly, I would like to reveal the fact that Britten when writing his text took carefully into account the occasion this piece was dedicated to, the reconsacration of Coventry Cathedral that was built next to the ruins left after the bombing. This symbolism shows that the pain and the trauma should not be forgotten; on the contrary people should remember the mistake of a history and prevent from its happening in the future.
Secondly, while reading War Requiem I spotted several expressions that referred directly to the pain of the War and the pity felt by the people who were involved in it. I dare to quote the final line of the Anthem for Doomed Youth that says: “King of majesty tremendous, who dost free salvation send us. Fount of pity and befriend us”. Another open expression of the pity in present in the poem named Strange Meeting: “The pity of war, the pity was distilled”.
I would like to emphasize the fact, that War Requiem is clearly an antiwar piece and proves once again that Britten does not let the form dominate over the content. His piece was criticized for the versus overtaken from Owen, some said they are not enough elaborated, others complained that Britten used only some fragments from Owen`s diary and therefore did not retransmit the same idea as the original author would have desired. Nonetheless, I believe Britten shows an extremely clear picture of the War and moreover, those who served in the War find it very authentic. We can assume the purpose of Britten`s War Requiem was in line with Owen`s intentions to give the most trustworthy testimony. I am convinced that from this point of view Britten was in his way didactic and visionary. In the post-war context, those who were active in War would welcome a recognition of a wide public and would probably subconsciously look for some kind of compensation, Britten does not hesitate to show the darkest side of the War that only can serve as a warning for future generations, even at the expense that the present generation will be deprived of the conciliation.
Britten also alludes that nobody is safe when facing the War:”Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs” or the “Heaven and earth in ashes ending!” Nobody can be spared from its cruelty that will cause the pain and suffering: “Faith and weary Thou hast sought me, on the cross suffering bought me, shall such grace be vainly brought me?” Britten could in a brilliant way describe the feelings of an individual who underwent this terror and his state of mind took away all his determination until he was left at the mercy of the God, destiny or some supreme power due to his inability to face the burden of the War. “Low I kneel with heart submission, see, like ashes, my condition! Help me in my last condition!” Another quote describing a man bleeding and begging for help says: “Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal, in that fearful day”. A reader can’t stop himself from feeling the pain of those soldiers. Most importantly, Britten likes to show that the War had no perspective and was led certainly for wrong reasons. As we can see in these couple of verses:” We laughed, knowing that better men would come, And greater wars, when each proud fighter brags He wars on Death-for Life, not men-for flags.”
To conclude, I would only like to accentuate and reaffirm with admiration that Britten chose an angle of view that was the one shared by the soldiers in the War , just like Wilfred Owen. He definitely passed a warning message to future generations, while using poetry, this supreme form of art mainly associated with noble matters, to deliver a clear picture of the horror that War can represent. That is the main reason, as I believe, of a strong impact War Requiem has on its audience.
