After Blenheim is an anti war poem, a ballad, penned down by English Romantic Poet

Laureate Robert Southey. The poem is set at the site of the battle of Blenheim, a German
village on the left bank of the Danube River in the state of Bavaria in South Germany. It is
based on The Battle of Blenheim in which the Allied Forces of Duke of Marlborough and
Prince Eugene defeated the Franco-Bavarian army.

The poem awakens the readers to the purpose and result of War and the dire consequences of
it. The war caused huge devastation and loss of precious lives. The poet wants to emphasize
through the repetition of the phrases, “a famous and glorious victory” that wars are ghastly,
futile and devastating and there is nothing glorifying in it. This poem reminds us of Wilfred
Owens’s famous quote, “the pity of war”. This poem is a veiled appeal to stop wars and seek
a peaceful solution to all conflicts.

One summer evening, Old Kaspar was relaxing in front of his cottage watching his
grandchildren Wilhelmine and Peterkin at play. Wilhelmine saw her brother Peterkin roll
something large, smooth and round which he had found beside the rivulet while he was
playing there. Kaspar took the object from the boy and told the anticipating boy that it was a
skull of a soldier who was killed in the Great War. He continues to say that he often finds
such skulls while ploughing his farm because many thousand men were slain in the battle.
Seeing the intense eagerness of the two children to know about the war, Old Kaspar satisfies
their curious inquisitiveness by saying that it was the English who made the French retreat
but what they fought for, he could not make out. Kaspar was an illiterate rustic, he did not
know the actual reason of the war but like other common people he was made to believe that
it was a famous victory though he could feel the ghastliness of war. Kaspar further adds that
the whole country was shattered far and wide by the action of fire and sword, yet he chants
the propaganda that was instilled in the common people’s mind. Therefore he says that things
as such must happen in a famous victory. Kaspar continues to say that according to the
people the sight of the battlefield was dreadful after the war was over as thousands of dead
bodies lay rotting in the sun. When Old Kaspar praises the Duke of Marlbro and Prince
Eugene of Savoy who were the war heroes, Little Wilhelmine said that the battle was a very
wicked thing. Peterkin wisely asked his grandfather what good came of the battle at last. The
old man said he did not know that but he only knew that it was a famous victory.

“War is organised murder and torture against our brothers” - Alfred Adler

War and conflict has been a prominent affair in the history of the existence of the most
superior species on earth- mankind. The world has seen numerous wars; some short lived
some long drawn. Humankind has been familiar with wars since times immemorial. Wars are
waged as a result of several reasons. Some may be for economic or territorial gain, some for
revenge, nationalism or defence while some may even be on the grounds of religion. To most
of us war may seem to be just two parties fighting to obtain what the desire for but if we look
at its insides war certainly has a bigger and ghastlier story to tell.

The horrors of war are truly devastating, both mentally and physically. Be it war among
nations or among racial groups within a nation, all wars are destructive. Wars have affected
the lives of people around the world, but it is the soldiers who fight the war are directly
affected, the most. Wars affect soldiers through severe injuries due to gunshots, bombing, and
canon firing. War is particularly traumatic for soldiers because it involves intimate violence,
including witnessing death through direct combats, viewing the enemy while killing them and
watching friends and comrades die. Apart from getting injured themselves, greater exposure
to death of military comrades and exposure to war trauma are associated with increased signs
of cardiac and nervous disease across their lives. Post war injuries persist among many
soldiers too. A lot of the combatants lose their limbs and are crippled forever, some suffer
from such injuries that they are bedridden for the rest of their lives. This unspeakable agony
of painful suffering is much worse than death to them. In addition to physical problems either
exacerbated or caused by war, emotional problems could also be brought on by battle. The
deaths and sufferings that the soldiers closely witness add to their emotional crisis. The
memories of their loved ones grieve their hearts since they fight in battlefields far away from
their home and families. This constant emotional struggle results in severe mental stress.
Reportedly many soldiers suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. The disorder is
characterised by symptoms like nightmares, feelings of detachment, irritability, sleeplessness
and difficulty in concentrating. Wars separate military families as the military member leaves
to serve elsewhere. In such cases the family members are subject to anxiety and stress,
particularly when the deployed family member is subject to dangerous conditions.

Wars ruin lives, economies, unity and strength of nations. Not only do wars stunt the
financial and economic growth of a nation but it also ruins the livelihoods of several militants
and numerous other civilians. The after effects of war penetrate deeply into the hearts and
minds of the people. Wars affect generation after generation, they are like violent storms that
sweeps over a nation, ravaging its resources and leaving pitiful consequences. The loss of
human life is among the worst impacts of war. Whereas the most apparent effects include the
destruction of environment, loss of property and displacement of people, the devastating
effects are spread across all spheres of life be it social, economic or environmental. “The fact
that war can never be great” is the very theme of the poem “After Blenheim” by Robert
Southey. While ordinary soldiers lay down their lives, prominent leaders are hailed and
praised as war heroes. Soldiers are nothing but merely pawns used by the power hungry
political leaders and forced to fight fruitless wars, much against their opposition towards
genocide. Nothing ever justifies the atrocities caused towards the hapless, defenceless
civilians; innocent citizens are forced to evacuate from their dwelling places leaving their
property behind, often suffering heavy casualties in the process. The poet condemns war on
strong terms instead of romanticizing it. The poem emphasises on the fact that wars are
senseless, futile and evil and there are no real winners, only loss and destruction. Wars serve
no purpose.  Just because of the greed of a few people, thousands of lives are sacrificed. 
People lose their loved ones and all their belongings. Therefore, wars are just pointless and
serve no purpose. They never lead to growth and prosperity. It is important to understand that
only fellowship, love, sensitivity and tenderness can help creating a harmonious society
whereas hatred, greed or war will never lead us anywhere. Two horrifying World Wars,
macabre Civil Wars, ghoulish Colonisation wars have proved the terrible, hideous and
abhorrent aftermaths of wars. Such obnoxious outcome can be deterred only if absolute peace
can be established and all forms of war and conflict be evaded. The only remedy to the
ghastly remnants of war is spreading the principles of peace and unity all over the world. The
poet tries to spread the message of peace and anti war by detailing the horrific sights of the
battlefield and the fearful effects that war has on both militants and civilians so that readers,
being encouraged by the message of the poem, takes a step forward to completely
extinguishing such devastation and destruction. A peaceful, united and just world will put an
end to the dreaded wars and in turn this will eliminate the sufferings of all innocents affected
by such mass genocides.