A. E. Housman
Alfred Edward Housman was born in Fockbury, Worcestershire, England, on March 26, 1859, the eldest of seven children. A year after his birth, Housman’s family moved to nearby Bromsgrove, where the poet grew up and had his early education. In 1877, he attended St. John’s College, Oxford and received first class honours in classical moderations.
Despite acclaim as a scholar and a poet in his lifetime, Housman lived as a recluse, rejecting honors and avoiding the public eye. He died in 1936 in Cambridge.
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/631
THE DESERTER
`What sound awakened me, I wonder,
For now 'tis dumb.'
`Wheels on the road most like, or thunder:
Lie down; 'twas not the drum.'
Toil at sea and two in haven
And trouble far;
Fly, crow, away, and follow, raven,
And all that croaks for war.
`Hark, I heard the bugle crying,
And where am I?
My friends are up and dressed and dying,
And I will dress and die.'
`Oh love is rare and trouble plenty
And carrion cheap,
And daylight dear at four-and-twenty:
Lie down again and sleep.'
`Reach me my belt and leave your prattle:
Your hour is gone;
But my day is the day of battle,
And that comes dawning on.
`They mow the field of man in season:
Farewell, my fair,
And, call it truth or call it treason,
Farewell the vows that were.'
`Ay, false heart, forsake me lightly:
'Tis like the brave.
They find no bed to joy in rightly
Before they find the grave.
`Their love is for their own undoing,
And east and west
They scour about the world a-wooing
The bullet to their breast.
`Sail away the ocean over,
Oh sail away,
And lie there with your leaden lover
For ever and a day.'
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Many a brave man was portrayed as a coward in the Great War and in all wars too. I have
included this poem because I want to address all aspects of war. A lot of the "Deserters and
Cowards" were men suffering from Post Traumatic Distress Syndrome. Today they would be treated
well we hope that they would but back then they were shot.
Those who were conscientious objectors were given the worse jobs possible or sent to prison
they were despised and ridiculed and shunned from society. Some were sent to war as stretcher
bearers and ambulance drivers and they were always unarmed. I must say here before I upset
anyone not all stretcher bearers or ambulance drivers were conscientious objectors.
In the first world war if the men were not fighting as well as expected and the generals
felt that they were not fighting hard enough they had shells fired at their own posts . Men
armed the rifles, bayonets and officers with only revolvers were sent "over the top" of the
trenches to be mown down by machine gun fire and shell. Hence the saying " Cannon fodder "
this also applies to wars before and after.
Mud, dead bodies, constant noise, bombs exploding, men and animals ( horses )screaming, lice,
dirt, food when ever, fear, CONSTANT FEAR. No wander some deserted, no wonder I am surprised that
they did not all desert.
And yes I know there will always be chancers and criminal types who see a chance or opportunity
to slope off and make money, they will always exist on all sides. The point is that in the first
and second world wars men sometimes for senseless reasons were shot. I am just saying
I feel that is wrong. Even "Brave" men can get Traumatic Distress Syndrome "
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Poetry Challenge #7 is to create a journal of links and your reactions to poems by established (living or dead poets.) Details are here. Example response is here. Mr. Linky for Challenge #7 is directly below:
willowdot21 