On the Poetry of War

War Poetry

War poetry is an ugly stepchild
by reputation, having the same relationship
to Poetry that Military History has to History.
Alas. Hélas.

The poetry of war is always there,
in every poetry,
and it is best not to deny it.
That would be like saying that Jesus was a pacifist
because he was not a Zealot.
You have heard it said,
in textbooks for example (nothing truly cultured)
that armies clash in grand style on the plain,
or stumble, darkling was Arnold’s word,
but still glorious.

More recently however you read the men
who told you how muddy and cold 
and squalid the whole thing was, and you believed,
although you were not there.

All the poetry of war is true poetry,
the good and the bad,
the Kipling and Sassoon.