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.by Rupert Brooke
(Artwork St George and the Dragon by Sydney Meteyard, courtesy of Let Britannia Rise)
The Poet Laureat of Britain. Killed by disease before going to Gallipoli. A bad way to go.
ReplyDeleteMarines get a bit melencoly before battle so some more educated would have printed out prayrs and whatnot
This was passed out before the invasion of Kuwait on my transport. A was "O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee, do not forget me"
I first read this poem when I was in 7th Grade and fell in love with it and England though I have never had the pleasure of visiting there....It still moves me. Thanks for posting it.
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteThis was my favourite poem when I was fourteen years old! :)
My mom used to read this to us! I wonder if because of his short life he was given such profound inspiration to write such beauty before he died.
ReplyDeleteI know from his pictures, he was physically beautiful.
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