Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE FIRST FUNERAL, by ROBERT RANKE GRAVES



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE FIRST FUNERAL, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The whole field was so smelly; / we smelt the poor dog first
Last Line: And said: 'poor dog, amen!'
Subject(s): Animals; Corpses; Dogs; World War I; Cadavers; First World War


(The first corpse I saw was on the German wires, and couldn't be
buried)


The whole field was so smelly;
We smelt the poor dog first:
His horrid swollen belly
Looked just like going burst.

His fur was most untidy;
He hadn't any eyes.
It happened on Good Friday
And there was lots of flies.

And then I felt the coldest
I'd ever felt, and sick,
But Rose, 'cause she's the oldest,
Dared poke him with her stick.

He felt quite soft and horrid:
The flies buzzed round his head
And settled on his forehead:
Rose whispered: 'That dog's dead.

'You bury all dead people,
When they're quite really dead,
Round churches with a steeple:
Let's bury this,' Rose said.

'And let's put mint all round it
To hide the nasty smell.'
I went to look and found it --
Lots, growing near the well.

We poked him through the clover
Into a hole, and then
We threw brown earth right over
And said: 'Poor dog, Amen!'




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