ANTHEM FOR A DOOMED YOUTH
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
2 comments:
Did you know (and this is just me showing off now) that apparently Owen originally wrote Anthem for Dead Youth and it was only when Siegfried Sassoon (that famous hairstylist) got to look at Owen's poems when they were both temporarily invalided out because of shell shock, that he suggested the change to "doomed". Good argument for collaborative writing if you ask me. The sad thing is that it was Owen who was doomed, dying on his return to the trenches.
Just found that out last week when watching the TV bio of Owen's life.
I agree about the collaborative writing thing. Whats good enough for Lennon & McCartney is good enough for me!
Question; Is scripture a form of collaborative writing, ie God inspired, man taking notes?
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