author
Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer
1888–1916
A poet, barrister, and army officer, he left behind a small but striking body of work shaped by duty, faith, and the shock of war. His life was cut short in the First World War, giving his writing an added sense of urgency and poignancy.
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About the author
Born in London on 26 September 1888, Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer grew up in a prominent British family and was educated at Winchester College before going on to University College, Oxford. He later trained as a barrister, but he was also drawn to poetry and became known for verse that mixed reflection, patriotism, and spiritual seriousness.
When the First World War broke out, Palmer served as an officer in the Hampshire Regiment. His experience of the war shaped the work for which he is best remembered, including the poem The Old Hunters, often noted for its vivid, emotional picture of soldiers facing battle.
Palmer died of wounds in Mesopotamia on 21 January 1916, at just 27 years old. Because his career was so brief, his reputation rests on a relatively small number of poems, but they continue to be read for their directness, courage, and sense of sacrifice.