memery

[whitereflection]

As snagged from joseishijin: When you see this meme, post a poem on your LJ

Yesssssss, this is my sort of meme ♥♥♥ I love this poem. It's one of several I've meant to memorize since high school (this, Ozymandias, and Jabberwocky--and yeah, that's 19 years now of failing to memorize them \o/). It's been in the back of my head lately.


War Is Kind
by Stephen Crane

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die.
The unexplained glory flies above them,
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom --
A field where a thousand corpses lie.

Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

Swift blazing flag of the regiment,
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die.
Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

Comments

[akintay.livejournal.com]

The poem's great! &hearts

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

Stephen Crane is an amazing poet ♥ So many people don't even know he wrote like that though--they know his book Red Badge of Courage that they're made to read in school, and that's it. I didn't like Red Badge of Courage at all :p But his poetry I just love ♥

[joseishijin.livejournal.com]

This poem made me love Stephen Crane after I declared that I hated him for being subjected to analyzing Red Badge of Courage for half a semester. Great poem.

&hearts

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY! ♥♥♥ I really didn't like Red Badge of Courage >_< But his poetry I just love--especially, *especially* this.