Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE MARCH OF THE GHOSTS, by VINCENT GODFREY BURNS Poet's Biography First Line: Chattering, clattering, here they come! Last Line: "let peace prevail through eternity!" Subject(s): Death; Ghosts; Soldiers; Supernatural; War; Dead, The | ||||||||
Chattering, clattering, here they come! With a shrieking fife and a funeral drum. Some are headless and some are blind, Some drag a shattered limb behind, Some are carried and some must crawl, Some have no limbs or face at all, Some are foolish and some are mad, Some are gallantbut all are sad! Clattering, chattering, here they come, Marking time to the Skeleton's drum! Uproaring, imploring, these soldier ghosts Are the broken and bleeding battle-hosts Of the kings and commanders since time began, Red grist of the war-mill of conqueror Man, Dead toys of the war-men's age-long play, Roman and Teuton and British prey. Young men, old menwith slow, dull tread Come the hapless, hopeless, betrayed dead! Imploring, uproaring, these slaughtered hosts Are an endless column of marching ghosts! Bemoaning and groaning a horrible song, They rattle their bones as they march along, German and Frenchman, side by side, Turk and Armenianall who died, With no regard to their native place, With no respect to their flag or race, Made angry foes at the battle-posts, They now are brothers in the army of ghosts! Bemoaning and groaning, the phantom throng Moves down the ages with sorrowful song! Enthralling, appalling, one clear voice cried, "Have you forgotten the hosts who died? Must you forever our dread ranks swell, Brand men forever with the scars of hell? Men of the nations let your sorrows be Healed with the hand of fraternity; Sealed with the symbol of the Son of Man Pledge the peoples to the peaceful plan!" Appalling, enthralling, comes one last plea, "Let peace prevail through eternity!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A FRIEND KILLED IN THE WAR by ANTHONY HECHT FOR JAMES MERRILL: AN ADIEU by ANTHONY HECHT TARANTULA: OR THE DANCE OF DEATH by ANTHONY HECHT CHAMPS D?ÇÖHONNEUR by ERNEST HEMINGWAY NOTE TO REALITY by TONY HOAGLAND A HUN by VINCENT GODFREY BURNS |
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