
This modest volume gathers a series of poems written just before and during the early years of the Great War, offering a window into a generation caught between youthful optimism and the looming shadow of conflict. The verses shift from hopeful declarations of peace and safety to stark reflections on loss, capturing the uneasy balance of patriotism and personal doubt that defined the era. Each piece is steeped in vivid imagery—whether it be the quiet hush of a summer night or the clamor of distant battlefields—making the emotions feel immediate and intimate.
Beyond the war‑related material, the collection wanders through distant seas, tropical sunsets, and quiet domestic scenes, showing a poet equally fascinated by love, nature, and the mysteries of the human heart. The language is lyrical yet unflinching, allowing listeners to hear both the tender longing for a world untouched by violence and the sobering acknowledgment of mortality. Together, these poems create a resonant portrait of an age on the brink, inviting listeners to contemplate how hope, fear, and beauty intertwine in moments of great upheaval.
Language
en
Duration
~38 minutes (37K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2010-10-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1887–1915
Best known for the wartime sonnet "The Soldier," this English poet wrote with a mix of youthful idealism, lyrical beauty, and quiet melancholy. His life was brief, but his poems helped define how many readers imagined the early years of the First World War.
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