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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MISSING, by BEATRICE WITTE RAVENEL Poet's Biography First Line: Lord, how can he be dead? Last Line: Lord, how can he be dead? Subject(s): Women And War; World War I - Casualties | |||
LORD, how can he be dead? For he stood there just this morn With the live blood in his cheek And the live light on his head? Dost Thou remember, Lord, when he was born, And all my heart went forth thy praise to seek, (I, a creator even as Thou,)— To force Thee to confess The little, young, heart-breaking loveliness, Like willow-buds in Spring, upon his brow? Newest of unfledged things, All perfect but the wings. Master, I lit my tender candle-light Straight at the living fire that rays abroad From thy dread altar, God! How should it end in night? Lord, in my time of trouble, of tearing strife, Even then I loved thy will, even then I knew That nothing is so beautiful as life! ... Is not the world's great woe thine anguish too? It hath not passed, thine hour, Again Thou kneelest in the olive-wood. The lands are drunk with sharp-set lust of power, The kings are thirsting, and they pour thy blood. But we, the mothers, we that found thy trace Down terrible ways, that looked upon thy face And are not dead—how should we doubt thy grace? How many women in how many lands— Almost I weep for them as for mine own— That wait beside the desolate hearthstone! Always before the embattled army stands The horde of women like a phantom wall, Barring the way with desperate, futile hands. The first charge tramples them, the first of all! Dost Thou remember, Lord, the hearts that prayed As down the shouting village street they swung, The beautiful fighting-men? The sunlight flung His keen young face up like an unfleshed blade ... O God, so young! Lord, hast Thou gone away? Once more through all the worlds thy touch I seek. Lord, how can he be dead? For he stood here just this day With the live blood in his cheek, And the live light on his head? Lord, how can he be dead? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE MORNING PAPER by KATHARINE LEE BATES FOR THE FALLEN (SEPTEMBER 1914) by LAURENCE BINYON TRAFALGAR SQUARE by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES 1914: 3. THE DEAD by RUPERT BROOKE 1914: 4. THE DEAD by RUPERT BROOKE BETWEEN THE LINES by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON RUPERT BROOKE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON THE ALLIGATOR by BEATRICE WITTE RAVENEL LILL' ANGELS by BEATRICE WITTE RAVENEL SONNETS FROM AN UNKNOWN IN WARTIME: 1 by BEATRICE WITTE RAVENEL |
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