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According to George William
Curtis, “A man's country is not a
certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle
and patriotism is loyalty to that principle”.
All
through history and time immemorial, the domineering theme in art and
literature is patriotism. We recall during times of war that the love for the
country is a stirring engine to amalgamate men against their invaders. It is
like speaking the unspoken language of unity.
The past
trails still have shadows in the present. Images, biographies, stories of great
leaders and soldiers are well preserved not only in the museum but also in
visual arts galleries. The works of
great painters and sculptures like Michelangelo and Da Vinci are still
exhibited. It is still open both for artistic and historical purposes. Walt
Whitman’s poem: Oh Captain, My Captain!,
is a subtle attack to the war then existing. A number of poems, songs and short
stories made during those times have common denominator and this is patriotism.
Probably,
the most memorable patriotic art are war posters. Several have been made then
to recruit men to join the army and defend their state. Example of this is the Lady Freedom, which is a World War 1
recruiting poster.
Today,
patriotic art is everywhere – clothes, automobiles, movies and the net –
practically everywhere your eyes can set on. The unleashed creativity becomes
more helpful in commending great people, places and events which have contoured
our heritage - in the revelation of the momentum toward the love for our
country!
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