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Ancient Mariner
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
"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 for them from prayers or 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 goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
It is a beautiful poem which really struck a chord in me, esp now. October 28th is one of the two national days in Greece. It's the day we celebrate the refusal to let Italy and (later on Nazi Germany) pass through Greece without a fight. Greece had received notice that the Italians were marching and were asked to surrender without a fight in view of their huge army force. the Greek Prime minister replied with a telegraph: "No!". Italy later lost to greece, while the Germans, who expecting to easily conquer Greece in days, were held back months, something that helped in Germans loosing by the Russian winter.
anyway, enough with this parenthesis. the poem is not read live, but is heard recorded (with bruce reading it). Also, a poem is heard before dance of death, anyone has info about this second poem? thanks...
"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 for them from prayers or 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 goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
It is a beautiful poem which really struck a chord in me, esp now. October 28th is one of the two national days in Greece. It's the day we celebrate the refusal to let Italy and (later on Nazi Germany) pass through Greece without a fight. Greece had received notice that the Italians were marching and were asked to surrender without a fight in view of their huge army force. the Greek Prime minister replied with a telegraph: "No!". Italy later lost to greece, while the Germans, who expecting to easily conquer Greece in days, were held back months, something that helped in Germans loosing by the Russian winter.
anyway, enough with this parenthesis. the poem is not read live, but is heard recorded (with bruce reading it). Also, a poem is heard before dance of death, anyone has info about this second poem? thanks...