The Death of the Scharnhorst, and Other Poems

In Short

This volume is a collection of mid-century poetry, published in 1952, that captures the profound disorientation of the Second World War. Through both narrative ballads and lyrical meditations, the work explores the life of a sailor who witnesses the destruction of the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor and the subsequent campaigns in the Pacific. It has endured as a raw, honest testament to the camaraderie of men under fire, the grief of losing companions, and the search for meaning in a landscape defined by loss and sudden, violent death.

The Story

The collection opens with a quiet, reflective tone, establishing the speaker’s preoccupation with the "bird, the lad, and me." This triad—the observer, the innocent bystander, and the cycle of life and death—drives the narrative forward. The poems quickly transition from domestic or romantic longing to the harsh realities of military service. The speaker describes the transition from a peaceful morning at Pearl Harbor to the sudden, explosive onset of war, where the harbor becomes a crucible of fire and the "litany of death."

As the poems unfold, the narrative arc moves from the shock of the initial attack to the grinding, relentless nature of the Pacific theater. We follow the speaker through the experience of being a "deck-ape" and a sentry, observing the ways men cope with imminent mortality. The story is not just one of combat, but of the internal struggle to maintain human connection in the face of machine-like destruction. Whether it is the tragedy of a submarine crew lost beneath the waves or the quiet, lonely vigil kept for a fallen comrade, the speaker consistently returns to the image of the "crucifying love" that exists between brothers-in-arms.

The middle section shifts toward the broader theater of the war, detailing specific historical engagements like the defense of Wake Island and the final, thunderous destruction of the German battleship Scharnhorst. The Scharnhorst poem serves as the collection's centerpiece, a rhythmic, driving account of a naval hunt that ends in a "wretched, moving, dying thing" sinking beneath the waves. This leads into the later, more somber poems, which focus on the aftermath. The narrative arc concludes with a vision of reconciliation and recovery, as the spirits of the lost crew of the U.S.S. Oklahoma return to their ship in a spectral, redemptive act. The final poems offer a plea for closure, urging the reader to "bury the past with its hate and its slaughter" while acknowledging that the scars of these experiences are permanent. The speaker ends on a note of solemn duty, tasked with remembering those who were "bastard, expendable" and "always forgot," ensuring that the human cost of the war remains visible even as the world moves on.

How It Unfolds

The morning of the attack The scene begins with a sense of routine and peace, where sailors wait for colors while a motor launch crosses the harbor. This calm is violently shattered by the arrival of the enemy, turning a "harbor of happiness" into a "harbor of blood" and fire.

The life of the enlisted man The perspective shifts to the day-to-day experience of the "deck-ape," the sentry, and the men trapped in the lower magazines. It highlights the claustrophobia of their stations and the stark contrast between their internal, often tender, thoughts and the external roar of the battle.

The hunt for the Scharnhorst The narrative takes a dramatic turn as it recounts the multi-day pursuit of the German battleship across the dark, wintry seas. It builds through the tactical maneuvers of the Allied cruisers and destroyers, culminating in the systematic destruction of the "monster-steed."

The intimacy of the foxhole The focus tightens again to the individual, detailing the unspoken, deeply felt bonds between friends on the front lines. The poem "Foxhole" captures the moment of finality when one friend realizes the other has died, marking the emotional climax of the collection.

The final reckoning The book concludes with elegies and calls for remembrance, reflecting on the spirits of the dead returning to their ships. The final verses serve as a closing prayer, seeking to bury the ghosts of the conflict and reconcile the living with their memories.

The People

The speaker acts as a bridge between the reader and the lost, often identified only as "the lad" or "the sailor." These figures are defined by their youth and their sudden transition from the ordinary to the heroic. They are "handsome, golden lads" who share intimate, often unvoiced devotions. When they are not in combat, they are seen as "little boys" who possess a "happy kind of smile" and a "boyish grin."

The "lad" is a recurring archetype—the friend, the shipmate, or the lover who dies before his time. He is characterized by his "crucifying love" for his comrades and his willingness to endure unimaginable suffering. He is often juxtaposed against those who "gossip" or judge, highlighting the isolation of the men in service. Another vital figure is the speaker himself, who serves as the keeper of their memories. He is the one who survives to "write in red" and "stand beside another lad" in the silence of the night. He is haunted by the dead, yet he remains loyal, turning his own grief into a record of their existence.

In Own Voice

How can there then be Death?

The author poses this question to a fallen friend, challenging the finality of loss through the persistence of memory and love.

The Scharnhorst shuddered, shell on shell / From eight destroyers upon her fell.

This line captures the mechanical, overwhelming force brought against the battleship in the climax of the book's title poem.

Bury the past with its hate and its slaughter, / And from this sweet grave make beginning.

The final appeal in the book asks for the resolution of the war’s trauma while honoring those who were buried in the process.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the tension between the anonymity of war and the intense, individual love that persists within it. The book argues that war is not merely a clash of nations or machines, but a "crucifying" experience that consumes the youth and potential of an entire generation. It questions the morality of a "merciless world" that breaks hearts and demands the ultimate sacrifice from the innocent. There is a persistent inquiry into the nature of duty—why men stand their guard even when they know they are doomed—and the argument that the only way to honor the dead is to transform the "stain" of their sacrifice into a new beginning that rejects the hatred that led to their demise.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the direct, unvarnished style of mid-century war poetry will find this volume deeply affecting. It offers a rare, intimate look at the emotional interior of a sailor who lived through the trauma of Pearl Harbor. The book does not shy away from the harshness of the period, reflecting the attitudes and the sometimes stark, plain-spoken language of a man who worked in factories and served on warships.

For those interested in the history of the Pacific theater or the human experience of naval combat, the title poem provides a gripping, detailed narrative that reads like a modern ballad. However, the true strength of the work lies in its quieter moments—the poems about the "broken swing" or the "stranger" on watch—which capture the universal ache of loss. The collection feels like a ghost-filled room; it is at times difficult and repetitive in its grief, but it is precisely this repetition that conveys the true weight of the speaker's burden. It is a book for someone who wants to understand not just the mechanics of the war, but the quiet, enduring sorrow of the men who fought it and the struggle to remain human when the world around them has crumbled into "harbors of Hell."