If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
Rubert Brooke. The Soldier
6 comments:
Splendid Beep, absolutely splendid.
beautiful
Oh, it's years since I read the whole poem, thank you...and beautifully illustrated too.
You can't beat a nice bit of Rupert Book, poor deluded fellow. I always found it particularly ironic that having waxed lyrical about the glory of war, he actually died from a mosquito bite before he ever got round to taking part in any military action. Still, fair play to him for coming up with the phrase 'feathery fairy dust', in The Great Lover.
"He obviously never actually *did* any dusting," said my Mum.
I always liked that poem.
(By the way we'll probably be NHOTT tonight if you fancy a pint)
Damn - missed you. Was it chocka with footy fans? I nearly went for a quick one with the dog on Sat bu tteh cries of Ingerland Ingerland floating across the isalnd put me off.
One day we'll get it right
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