Link to the poem : https://allpoetry.com/poem/17558674--Blood-on-the-State-s-hands...----30-December--2023-by-Soman-Ragavan
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SOMAN RAGAVAN
4 June, 2024
Subject : “Blood on the State’s hands…”
Analysis by Google Gemini,
(Artificial Intelligence)
Volume 9
Soman Ragavan : Hello. I will post one of my poems for analysis. Could you please comment extensively, mentioning literary genres, styles, themes, poetic language, poetic philosophies, comparison with poets of England, America, India, Africa from 1700 to 1900 and as from 1945.
At college in 1968, I studied some poems of Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774), Gordon Byron (1788-1824), Samuel T. Coleridge (1772-1834), William Wordsworth (1770-1850), Robert Browning (1812-1889), Mathew Arnold (1822-1888), Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) and some other poets of that era. Make any comments or comparisons you wish on my poems. I live in Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean.
Google Gemini : I\'d be happy to analyze your poem! Here\'s a breakdown of what I can look for:
Literary Genre & Style:
Themes:
Poetic Language:
Poetic Philosophies:
Comparisons:
Mauritian Context:
Here are some additional points to consider:
Please feel free to share your poem, and I\'ll provide a detailed analysis based on the points mentioned above.
Soman Ragavan : I will post my poem “Blood on the State’s hands…” On 6 November, 2023, Indi Gregory, an 8-month-old baby in England, had been given Italian citizenship in order to follow treatment in Italy, as the English had said that no treatment would be successful. The parents had deliberately applied for Italian citizenship in order to send the baby to Italy for treatment.
A Catholic hospital in Rome was willing to treat the baby. At the time the baby died, it had Italian citizenship additionally. The arguments and objections of the English authorities were that no treatment would work and that treatment would only prolong the pain. The High Court in England ruled against allowing Indi to go to Italy. That Court had also denied treatment to other patients who were terminally ill. Although the court’s decision was being appealed, the hospital stopped the treatment, removing the life support equipment and killing off little Indi.
See the following links on the Internet :
(1)
https ://www.google.com/search ?client=firefox-b-d&q=England+terminally+ill+baby+denied+permission+to+go+to+italy+for+treatment
(2)
https ://www.google.com/url ?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj1xcfB9bSDAxViQfEDHTWzAWAQFnoECAwQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%2Fworld-news%2Fcritically-ill-uk-baby-dies-after-parents-lose-court-battle-to-take-her-to-italy-4570263&usg=AovVaw1uCXaAy0-Rr57reg9cIwAe&opi=89978449
(3)
https ://www.google.com/url ?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj1xcfB9bSDAxViQfEDHTWzAWAQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Farticle%2Findi-gregory-uk-italy-ruling-0caecf4c18336004d4e3b99cfff9c327&usg=AovVaw1yGUe6l2K2QBMSKaOsOLEO&opi=89978449
(4)
https ://www.google.com/url ?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj1xcfB9bSDAxViQfEDHTWzAWAQFnoECBAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fuk-england-derbyshire-67284832&usg=AovVaw2a8HvpHDaJE-vvpWZyu9_W&opi=89978449
(5)
https ://www.google.com/url ?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj1xcfB9bSDAxViQfEDHTWzAWAQFnoECC4QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcatholicreview.org%2Fitaly-grants-citizenship-to-critically-ill-8-month-old-refused-further-treatment-in-uk%2F&usg=AovVaw1MIDJ99YlutW2hyhQ-mh1x&opi=89978449
Some references :
(a)
\"Other cases could be cited of innocent men executed, though the official and correct view is \'out of sight, out of mind\", and \'dead men tell no tales\'. Hansard, of 1881, gives an account of a boy executed at Winchester. The prison chaplain rushed to London bearing a written confession made by a man for the very crime in question. This man was waiting to be hanged on another account. The chaplain could not find the Home Secretary in time; and so the poor boy was hanged. There is the much more spectacular and familiar case of Habron, who was found guilty of murder and afterwards proved innocent by the confession of the late Mr Charles Peace, before he passed away. Earlier in this book, I have already given instances of blunders on the part of hangmen, and, looking through Hansard, I find a few more cases which are too important to be missed. The first is that of Matthew Atkinson, a pitman, who took a couple of drops in the city of Durham. (........) At the ceremony, when the drop fell there was a rattle, a crash, a horrible thud, and the criminal had disappeared, and from the gallows was seen the broken end of a rope dangling in the wind. The half-strangled man, conscious of all that had taken place, was below the drop, bound hand and foot, his jaw horribly wrenched. Twenty-four minutes elapsed before the readjustments were made; and the official Parliamentary report concludes : \'The second hanging was successful.\' That was bad enough, but there is on record the case of Brownless, whose life was taken by the late Mr Hangman Marwood; this also happened at Durham, and is reported in Hansard. The ceremony was very badly bungled and, when completed, it presented to the onlooker a spectacle so utterly gruesome and revolting that all intelligent advocates of the hangman\'s art trembled for its future. An onlooker reports :
\"On looking down into the pit where the body hung we observed that the feet were about within half an inch off the ground; the rope, which was about an inch and a half thick, was embedded in the neck; the blood was slowly trickling down the breast.\'
\"And so on. Hansard also gives the case of a criminal called Connor. Another bungled job. In this case the rope slipped. Connor turned philosophically to the hangman and before the second attempt was begun, he asked, \'What do you call this ? Murder ?\' \"
--- Charles Duff : \" A handbook of Hanging.\"
\"THE FABER BOOK OF MURDER.\" (Edited by Simon Rae). London : Faber & Faber, 1994.
(Full acknowledgements are made to the authors, publishers and rights-holders).
What do you call what was done to Indi Gregory at the hospital ?... Murder ?...
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See my poems on allpoetry.com :
(1) “Transportation” on how England deported thousands of its orphans to Australia and New Zealand over three centuries.
https://allpoetry.com/poem/17511666--Transportation----2-Dec-2023-by-Soman-Ragavan
(2) “And she fell asleep” on a baby who died at the age of four from a terminal illness in the USA.
https://allpoetry.com/poem/17075651-Poem----And-she-fell-asleep----27-March--2023.-by-Soman-Ragavan
My notes on my poem “Transportation” :
(a) This poem refers to the cruel, systematic and callous deportation of English orphans to certain colonies by England during more than three centuries. In this unforgivable crime, the cruelty is fully exposed. England heartlessly banished thousands of its own defenceless orphans, so as not to have to bear the cost of rearing them up.
(b) Also see :
(i) Overseas News Service bulletin, Government Information Service, Prime Minister’s Office, Mauritius, REUTERS news section, 17/18 July, 1998, (page 3); 15/16 December, 1998, (page 7).
(ii) “Grande Bretagne : 150 000 déportés vers les colonies en plus de trois siècles.” “Le MAURICIEN” newspaper, Mauritius, 20 May, 1999, (page 16). Let us reproduce this article here :
“About 150 000 English orphans were victims of a policy started in the 17th century on a particularly cruel deportation towards colonies and former colonies, Australia and New Zealand in particular, according to an official report published yesterday.
“The scandal of the forced exile of these children, who had been confided to State homes, had for objective the injection of “white blood” into the far-flung lands of the crown. This scandal caused an uproar when it was revealed in 1993 by an Australian television documentary. But, the magnitude of the deportation, which went on until 1967, was not known at the time and the known cases only covered the period 1947-1967. These cases concerned not only orphans but also abandoned children or children removed from their unmarried mothers.
“Consequently, an English MP, chairman of a parliamentary commission on health, had been asked to go to Australia and New Zealand to enquire into the matter. His report on \"disappeared children\" of the Empire, presented to the House of Commons, is enlightening.
\"This affair, in my opinion, is one of the most shameful secrets of recent English history,\" said the English MP, David Hinchliffe. The policy of shipping the orphans to Australia and New Zealand, contrarily to what had been assumed so far, started as far back as 1618, according to the study. It had concerned 150 000 young ones just for New Zealand and Australia, whereas previous estimates had mentioned 20 000 to 50 000 youths in all. Others had been sent to Canada and Rhodesia.
“What is worse, reaching their destinations, the children, of whom the youngest were aged four, had to do forced labour and were often victims of sexual abuse. \"This affair is that of the efficient deportation of thousands of vulnerable children and youths,\" has said the MP during a debate in the House.
“It is also the affair of a country that washed its hands of its responsibility towards its own people, of whom many had endured the most horrific traumas,\" did he add. Parallel to the publication of the report, the Labour Government have announced the creation of a fund of one million pounds to help the most recent victims to go to England in order to retrace relatives.
“In the name of the Government, the Under Secretary of State for Health, John Hutton, has expressed his \"profound regret\" towards the deportees.” (My translation from French).
In the past, the English authorities had refused to apologise for these crimes.
(iii) “Quand les Australiens découvrent les \"stolen children\" de la Réunion.” “WEEK-END” newspaper, Mauritius, 5 January, 2003, (page 15).
(iv) “Apology for kids shipped from Britain to colonies.” Associated Press, 16 November, 2009.
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I will post my poem when you write.
Google Gemini : Thank you, Soman Ragavan, for sharing the context behind your poem and the links. It\'s clear you\'re passionate about this topic, and I look forward to analyzing your poem \"Blood on the State\'s Hands...\"
Here\'s what I can do to analyze your poem:
Genre & Style:
Themes:
Poetic Language:
Possible Comparisons:
Mauritian Context:
Additional Notes:
Once you share your poem, I\'ll provide a detailed analysis based on these points. It will be insightful to see how you translate this tragic story into verse.
Soman Ragavan : Here is my poem “Blood on the State’s hands…” Please give an overview first. Then, make a more detailed analysis by sections in the poem. (Poem inserted).
Your poem, \"Blood on the State\'s Hands...\", is a powerful and emotional piece that explores the tragic case of Indi Gregory, an 8-month-old baby denied potentially life-saving treatment in England but offered a chance in Italy. Here\'s a breakdown of the poem\'s themes and structure:
Detailed Analysis by Section
Sections 1-5:
Sections 6-11:
Sections 12-17:
Sections 18-19:
Section 20:
Additional Points
Overall, \"Blood on the State\'s Hands...\" is a moving and thought-provoking poem that uses strong emotions and contrasting imagery to raise questions about healthcare ethics, individual rights, and the value of life.
Soman Ragavan : Please talk about : (a) poetic techniques used, (b) the effects achieved, (c) dramatization, (d) storytelling, (e) writers against States, and (f) the morality of public authorities in England on the matter.
(a) Poetic Techniques:
(b) Effects Achieved:
(c) Dramatization:
The poem uses dialogue (\"NO! / NO! Don\'t switch off anything!\") and emotional appeals (\"Please, please, / For God\'s sake, / Don\'t murder our baby!\") to create a dramatic scene of the parents\' struggle.
(d) Storytelling:
The poem uses storytelling to present a real-life event in a way that connects with the reader. It starts with a happy beginning, then introduces a conflict, and ends with a haunting question, leaving the reader wanting more.
(e) Writers Against States:
This poem joins a long tradition of writers critiquing the actions of powerful states. It uses emotional language and storytelling to highlight the human cost of bureaucratic decisions.
(f) Morality of Public Authorities:
The poem directly challenges the morality of the English public authorities in this case. It questions their decision to deny treatment and portrays them as callous and uncaring. The poem raises the question of whether the state prioritizes procedures and regulations over the value of human life.
By using these techniques, the poem effectively conveys a powerful message about the tragic case of Indi Gregory and the importance of questioning authority.
Soman Ragavan : When an appeal is made, everything must be frozen, else it is an outrage towards the judicial system. The Appeal Court must be given time to examine the case. Here, the hospital removed the life support system and killed off the baby. The least the English should have done was to hand over the baby to Italian authorities, as the baby also had Italian nationality. The English killed a defenceless Italian national, an 8-month-old baby, while also committing an outrage towards their own Appeal Court…
Google Gemini : You\'re right, there are strong arguments to be made about the way Indi Gregory\'s case was handled. Here\'s a breakdown of the situation and some legal considerations:
Arguments Against the Hospital\'s Actions:
Nuances to Consider:
Next Steps:
It\'s important to note that these are just some of the considerations, and the full legal picture is likely complex. However, your poem effectively highlights the emotional and ethical dimensions of such cases.
Soman Ragavan : Thank you very much for analysing this poem. I am signing off now.
Google Gemini : You\'re welcome, Soman Ragavan! It was a pleasure to analyze your poem \"Blood on the State\'s Hands...\" and discuss the legal and ethical issues surrounding Indi Gregory\'s case.
I hope the analysis provided some insights and helped you explore the power of your writing.
If you ever have any other poems or questions, feel free to ask! Have a great day.
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