S5 Ep 7: Two poems for VE Day, 80 years on, 'some kind of record seemed vital'

On 8 May 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces and VE (Victory to Europe) Day was celebrated across Europe and the UK. The war in Japan would continue till August 1945 and the repercussions of the war, and the pain it left for millions who were affected, last even till this day. But on that day, there were celebrations for the ending of almost six years of fighting. 

On the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe, we reflect on the ambivalence of living in a world where the echoes of past wars collide with the realities of present-day conflicts. Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” exposes the horrific realities of war to young men, stripping away any illusion of glory and revealing the exhaustion, trauma, and bitter irony faced by soldiers.

In stark contrast, we finish with Wendy Cope’s “Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis”. If you're a fan of Cope, "All-Purpose Poem for State Occasions" from the same collection is fitting for the occasion as well.