<I>Burden<\/I> is a poetry collection that tells the story of a seventeen-year-old British soldier, Private Herbert Burden, who was shot for desertion during World War I. He was one of hundreds so executed. It is now understood that many had committed no crime, but were suffering from PTSD. Burden\u2019s story is told in the voice of Lance Corporal Reginald Smith, the author\u2019s uncle. The author discovered years later in a box of papers that his uncle, Lance Corporal Smith, had befriended Private Burden but then was ultimately commanded to join in the firing squad that killed his friend.\u00a0<BR \/> \u00a0<BR \/> This slim book reaches below standard indictments of war\u2014it shows us that \u201cterrifying,\u201d \u201csenseless,\u201d \u201chorrific\u201d don\u2019t go deep enough. To utter them, the eye must already be closing over. Smith\u2019s account is an object lesson in why poetry matters. It takes us to places even the best journalism can\u2019t reach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Douglas Smith\u2019s 17th book of poetry, <I>Burden<\/I> is a heart-shattering retelling of Private Herbert Burden\u2019s life, one of the 316 Canadian soldiers shot for desertion during World War I. Smith\u2019s account is an object lesson in why poetry matters. It takes us to places even the best journalism can\u2019t reach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":65845,"template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[16019,16202],"product_tag":[16203],"class_list":["post-65842","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_language-eng-fr","product_subjects-poetry-fr","product_subjects-general-poetry-fr","biblio_share_tag-poetry-general-fr","product_cat-awards-east-fr","product_cat-awards-east-characters-fr","product_tag-maxine-tynes-nova-scotia-poetry-award-fr","entry","first","outofstock","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n