A Treasury of War Poetry Part 35

At last I pa.s.sed to Dover And saw upon the sh.o.r.e A tall young English captain And soldiers, many more.

Now they lie dead at Dixmude, The brave, the strong, the young!

I turn unto my homeland, All my journey sung!

_Grace Fallow Norton_

A MOTHER'S DEDICATION

Dear son of mine, the baby days are over, I can no longer shield you from the earth; Yet in my heart always I must remember How through the dark I fought to give you birth.

Dear son of mine, by all the lives behind you; By all our fathers fought for in the past; In this great war to which your birth has brought you, Acquit you well, hold you our honour fast!

G.o.d guard you, son of mine, where'er you wander; G.o.d lead the banners under which you fight; You are my all, I give you to the Nation, G.o.d shall uphold you that you fight aright.

_Margaret Peterson_

TO A MOTHER

Robbed mother of the stricken Motherland-- Two hearts in one and one among the dead, Before your grave with an uncovered head I, that am man, disquiet and silent stand In reverence. It is your blood they shed; It is your sacred self that they demand, For one you bore in joy and hope, and planned Would make yourself eternal, now has fled.

But though you yielded him unto the knife And altar with a royal sacrifice Of your most precious self and dearer life-- Your master gem and pearl above all price-- Content you; for the dawn this night restores Shall be the dayspring of his soul and yours.

_Eden Phillpotts_

SPRING IN WAR-TIME

I feel the spring far off, far off, The faint, far scent of bud and leaf-- Oh, how can spring take heart to come To a world in grief, Deep grief?

The sun turns north, the days grow long, Later the evening star grows bright-- How can the daylight linger on For men to fight, Still fight?

The gra.s.s is waking in the ground, Soon it will rise and blow in waves-- How can it have the heart to sway Over the graves, New graves?

Under the boughs where lovers walked The apple-blooms will shed their breath-- But what of all the lovers now Parted by Death, Grey Death?

_Sara Teasdale_

OCCASIONAL NOTES

ASQUITH, HERBERT. He received a commission in the Royal Marine Artillery at the end of 1914 and served as a Second Lieutenant with an Anti- Aircraft Battery in April, 1915, returning wounded during the following June. He became a full Lieutenant in July, but was invalided home after about six weeks. In June, 1916, he joined the Royal Field Artillery and went out to France once again with a battery of field guns at the beginning of March, 1917. Since that time he has been steadily on active service.

BEWSHER, PAUL. He was educated at St. Paul's School, and is a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service.

BINYON, LAURENCE. His war writings include _The Winnowing Fan_ and _The Anvil_, published in America under the t.i.tle of _The Cause_.

BRIDGES, ROBERT. He has been Poet-Laureate of England since 1913.

BROOKE, RUPERT. He was born at Rugby on August 3, 1887, and became a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, in 1913. He was made a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in September, 1914; accompanied the Antwerp expedition in October of the same year; and sailed with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on February 28, 1915. He died in the Aegean, on April 23, and lies buried in the island of Skyros. See the memorial poems in this volume, _The Island of Skyros_, by John Masefield; and _Rupert Brooke_, by Moray Dalton. His war poetry appears in the volume ent.i.tled _1914 and other Poems_, and in his _Collected Poems_.

CAMPBELL, WILFRED. This well-known Canadian poet has lately published _Sagas of Vaster Britain, War Lyrics_, and _Canada's Responsibility to the Empire_. His son, Captain Basil Campbell, joined the Second Pioneers.

CHESTERTON, CECIL EDWARD. He has been editor of the _New Witness_ since 1912, and is a private in the Highland Light Infantry. His war writings include _The Prussian hath said in his Heart_, and _The Perils of Peace_.

CHESTERTON, GILBERT KEITH. This brilliant and versatile author has written many essays on phases of the war, including weekly contributions to _The Ill.u.s.trated London News_.

CONE, HELEN GRAY. She has been Professor of English in Hunter College since 1899. Her war poetry appears in the volume ent.i.tled _A Chant of Love for England, and other Poems_.

COULSON, LESLIE. He joined the British Army in September, 1914, declined a commission and served in Egypt, Malta, Gallipoli (where he was wounded), and Prance. He became Sergeant in the City of London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) and was mortally wounded while leading a charge against the Germans in October, 1916.

DIXON, WILLIAM MACNEILE. He is Professor of English Language and Literature in the University of Glasgow. His war writings include _The British Navy at War_ and _The Fleets behind the Fleet_.

DOYLE, SIR ARTHUR CONAN. He has written much of interest on the war, especially as regards the western campaigns.

FIELD, A.N. He is a private in the Second New Zealand Brigade.

FRANKAU, GILBERT. Upon the declaration of war he joined the Ninth East Surrey Regiment (Infantry), with the rank of Lieutenant. He was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery in March, 1915, and was appointed Adjutant during the following July. He proceeded to France in that capacity, fought in the battle of Loos, served at Ypres during the winter of 1915-16, and thereafter took part in the battle of the Somme.

In October, 1916, he was recalled to England, was promoted to the rank of Staff Captain in the Intelligence Corps, and was sent to Italy to engage in special duties.

FREEMAN, JOHN. He was Lieutenant-Colonel in the Russian A. M. S., on the Bacteriological Mission to Galicia, 1914.

GALSWORTHY, JOHN. Mr. Galsworthy, the well-known novelist, poet, and dramatist, served for several months as an expert _ma.s.seur_ in an English hospital for French soldiers at Martouret.

GIBSON, WILFRID WILSON. His war writings include _Battle_, etc.

GRENFELL, THE HON. JULIAN, D.S.O. He was a Captain in the First Royal Dragoons; was wounded near Ypres on March 13, 1915; and died at Boulogne on May 26. He was the eldest son of Lord Desborough. "Julian set an example of light-hearted courage," wrote Lieutenant-Colonel Machlachan, of the Eighth Service Battalion Rifle Brigade, "which is famous all through the Army in France, and has stood out even above the most lion-hearted."

HALL, JAMES NORMAN. He is a member of the American Aviation Corps in France, and author of _Kitchener's Mob_ and _High Adventure_. He was captured by the Germans, May 7, 1918, after an air battle inside the enemy's lines.

HARDY, THOMAS. He received the Order of Merit in 1910.

HEMPHREY, MALCOLM. He is a Lance-Corporal in the Army Ordnance Corps, Nairobi, British East Africa.

HEWLETT, MAURICE HENRY. He has published a group of his war poems under the t.i.tle _Sing-Songs of the War_.