Category Archives: wwi poetry

Charles Sorley, "To Germany"

To Germany You are blind like us. Your hurt no man designed,And no man claimed the conquest of your land.But gropers both through fields of thought confinedWe stumble and we do not understand.You only saw your future bigly planned,And we, … Continue reading

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Charles Sorley, "Such, Such Is Death"

Such, Such Is Death Such, such is Death: no triumph: no defeat:Only an empty pail, a slate rubbed clean,A merciful putting away of what has been. And this we know: Death is not Life, effete,Life crushed, the broken pail. We … Continue reading

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Charles Sorley, "A Letter From the Trenches to a School Friend"

A Letter From the Trenches to a School Friend I have not brought my OdysseyWith me here across the sea;But you’ll remember, when I sayHow, when they went down Sparta way,To sandy Sparta, long ere dawnHorses were harnessed, rations drawn,Equipment … Continue reading

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Robert Graves, "A Dead Boche"

A Dead BocheTo you who’d read my songs of War And only hear of blood and fame, I’ll say (you’ve heard it said before) “War’s Hell!” and if you doubt the same, Today I found in Mametz Wood A certain … Continue reading

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Siegfried Sassoon, "Lamentations"

Lamentations I found him in the guard-room at the Base.From the blind darkness I had heard his cryingAnd blundered in. With puzzled, patient faceA sergeant watched him; it was no good trying To stop it; for he howled and beat … Continue reading

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"The End," Wilfred Owen

The End After the blast of lightning from the east, The flourish of loud clouds, the Chariot Throne; After the drums of time have rolled and ceased, And by the bronze west long retreat is blown, Shall Life renew these … Continue reading

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Edgell Rickword, "Trench Poets"

Trench Poets I knew a man, he was my chum,but he grew blacker every day,and would not brush the flies away,nor blanch however fierce the humof passing shells; I used to read,to rouse him, random things from Donne– Like “Get … Continue reading

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Isaac Rosenberg, "Dead Man’s Dump"

Dead Man’s Dump The plunging limbers over the shattered trackRacketed with their rusty freight,Stuck out like many crowns of thorns,And the rusty stakes like sceptres oldTo stay the flood of brutish menUpon our brothers dear. The wheels lurched over sprawled … Continue reading

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"Strange Meeting," Wilfred Owen

Strange Meeting It seemed that out of battle I escapedDown some profound dull tunnel, long since scoopedThrough granites which titanic wars had groined.Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned,Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.Then, as I probed them, … Continue reading

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Robert Frost, "Range-finding"

Range-finding The battle rent a cobweb diamond-strung And cut a flower beside a ground bird’s nest Before it stained a single human breast. The stricken flower bent double and so hung. And still the bird revisited her young.A butterfly its … Continue reading

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