The Poe Show
Listen to the classic horror stories and macabre poems of Edgar Allan Poe, renowned 19th century authors and more in a solemnly dark tone you've never heard before!
Featuring the works of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, The Brothers Grimm, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, J.S. Le Fanu and many more. Two new episodes every month!
Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.
The Poe Show
Rebirth: 1914-1918
In this episode we examine the gripping subject of the irreversible effects of war on the world, the political divide and and our identities intertwined with it, presented in Rebirth: 1914–1918 by Rudyard Kipling.
If you’ve never heard of the word “disillusionment,” then be prepared to learn about it, for there are fewer ideas more disheartening to the matured mind than the desire to return to days gone by.
But those who longingly dream of the past should eventually realize the sobering truth: we created now, and if we are dissatisfied, we have only ourselves to blame.
We were what we were.
Perfect for classrooms, educators, teachers, history buffs and those who love war poetry or classical literature.
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Episode music and narration by Tynan Portillo.
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Tynan Portillo presents, featuring the works of Edgar Allan Poe and the best horror stories from the 19th century. Welcome to The Poe Show podcast. Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.
Today’s episode, Rebirth: 1914-1918 by Rudyard Kipling.
If any God should say
"I will restore
The world her yesterday
Whole as before
My Judgments blasted it" – who would not lift
Heart, eye, and hand in passion o'er the gift?
If any God should will
To wipe from mind
The memory of this ill
Which is mankind
In soul and substance now – who would not bless
Even to tears His loving-tenderness?
If any God should give
Us leave to fly
These present deaths we live,
And safely die
In those lost lives we lived ere we were born –
What man but would not laugh the excuse to scorn?
For we are what we are –
So broke to blood
And the strict works of war –
So long subdued
To sacrifice, that threadbare Death commands
Hardly observance at our busier hands.
Yet we were what we were,
And, fashioned so,
It pleases us to stare
At the far show
Of unbelievable years and shapes that flit,
In our own likeness, on the edge of it.
Welcome back to The Poe Show, I’m your host Tynan Portillo. You may notice that episodes from now on will have a much better audio quality. For my birthday, I was gifted the Shure sm7dB by my family, and it sounds absolutely beautiful. Thank you guys, if you’re listening. I love it.
Be sure to send any questions about the podcast or an episode to the podcast by sending a text message using the link in the description. And if you’re in need of a voice actor or narrator for a project, you can email me with details at poeshowpod@gmail.com.
This poem is quite unique in that it poses questions to the reader, asking whether or not you could blame one for wanting to go back to days before the devastation, the annihilation and the loss of life as well as innocence of war. World War I was a pillar in American and world history. It was a war that was in the faces of all peoples.
You think about the timeline too…those who fought in World War I came back home, and just 21 years later - they’ve started a family, got a home, bought their first black and white TV, they’re enjoying Walt Disney Studios premiering the first fully animated feature film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves - and then they hear of Japan bombing Pearl Harbor and the United States entering this new world war, just after they ended one.
Now of course, WWII didn’t spring up out of nowhere. People had been hearing reports of Mr. Adolf rising to power and forming his gestapo and developing political enemies in order to justify taking away the rights of all people of Germany. They knew that this authoritarian dictator had originally been voted into his office of power due to the economic crisis Germany was in, and he was going to get them out of it. And many believed in his message so much about restoring Germany to its original glory that they stood behind his blatantly racist ideologies about the Aryan race and those of Jewish or Polish descent or even other minorities like black and gay people. But all of those groups of people were formed as political enemies in the eyes of German Nationalist Socialism. He was worshipped as a God to many desperate fanatics who followed him.
But World War 1 was originally called The World War because nothing like it had ever happened before. It is truly the threshold of world history. And this poem demonstrates that; that World War 1 was the most monstrous event in our human history, one which we could never go back from. And one which humanity never wanted to repeat.
Thank you for listening to this episode of The Poe Show. If you enjoyed what you heard and saw, because I am doing video episodes on YouTube now, then remember to like, subscribe, share with others you know like this kind of content, and follow on other social media like TikTok, Instagram and more. All links available in the episode description.
That’s all for now. But you’ll hear from me again on the next episode of The Poe Show.
