The Penguin Book of First World War Poetry by Various Contributors Page B

the Elegies one day,
    But he, because he heard me say
    â€˜What needst thou have more covering than a man?‘
    Grinned nastily, and so I knew
    The worms had got his brains at last.
    There was one thing that I might do
    To starve the worms; I racked my head
    20             For healthy things and quoted ‘
Maud
.‘
    His grin got worse and I could see
    He sneered at passion’s purity.
    He stank so badly, though we were great chums
    I had to leave him; then rats ate his thumbs.
    Edgell Rickword

3 ACTION
Rendezvous with Death
    Before Action
    By all the glories of the day,
    Â Â Â Â Â And the cool evening’s benison,
    By the last sunset touch that lay
    Â Â Â Â Â Upon the hills when day was done,
    By beauty lavishly outpoured
    Â Â Â Â Â And blessings carelessly received,
    By all the days that I have lived
    Â Â Â Â Â Make me a soldier, Lord.
    By all of all man’s hopes and fears,
    10                  And all the wonders poets sing,
    The laughter of unclouded years,
    Â Â Â Â Â And every sad and lovely thing;
    By the romantic ages stored
    Â Â Â Â Â With high endeavour that was his,
    By all his mad catastrophes
    Â Â Â Â Â Make me a man, O Lord.
    I, that on my familiar hill
    Â Â Â Â Â Saw with uncomprehending eyes
    A hundred of Thy sunsets spill
    20                  Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice,
    Ere the sun swings his noonday sword
    Â Â Â Â Â Must say good-bye to all of this; –
    By all delights that I shall miss,
    Â Â Â Â Â Help me to die, O Lord.
    W. N. Hodgson
    Into Battle
    The naked earth is warm with Spring,
    Â Â Â Â Â And with green grass and bursting trees
    Leans to the sun’s gaze glorying,
    Â Â Â Â Â And quivers in the sunny breeze;
    And Life is Colour and Warmth and Light,
    Â Â Â Â Â And a striving evermore for these;
    And he is dead who will not fight;
    Â Â Â Â Â And who dies fighting has increase.
    The fighting man shall from the sun
    10                  Take warmth, and life from the glowing earth;
    Speed with the light-foot winds to run,
    Â Â Â Â Â And with the trees to newer birth;
    And find, when fighting shall be done,
    Â Â Â Â Â Great rest, and fullness after dearth.
    All the bright company of Heaven
    Â Â Â Â Â Hold him in their high comradeship,
    The Dog-Star, and the Sisters Seven,
    Â Â Â Â Â Orion’s Belt and sworded hip.
    The woodland trees that stand together,
    20                  They stand to him each one a friend;
    They gently speak in the windy weather;
    Â Â Â Â Â They guide to valley and ridge’s end.
    The kestrel hovering by day,
    Â Â Â Â Â And the little owls that call by night,
    Bid him be swift and keen as they,
    Â Â Â Â Â As keen of ear, as swift of sight.
    The blackbird sings to him, ‘Brother, brother,
    Â Â Â Â Â If this be the last song you shall sing,
    Sing well, for you may not sing another;
    30                  Brother, sing.’
    In dreary doubtful waiting hours,
    Â Â Â Â Â Before the brazen frenzy starts,
    The horses show him nobler powers;
    Â Â Â Â Â O patient eyes, courageous hearts!
    And when the burning moment breaks,
    Â Â Â Â Â And all things else are out of mind,
    And only Joy-of-Battle takes
    Â Â Â Â Â Him by the throat, and makes him blind,
    Through joy and blindness he shall know,
    40                  Not caring much to know, that still
    Nor lead nor steel shall reach him, so
    Â Â Â Â Â That it be not the Destined