Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE EFFECT, by SIEGFRIED SASSOON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: He'd never seen so many dead before Last Line: Who'll buy my nice fresh corpses, two a penny?' Subject(s): Soldiers' Writings; World War I; First World War | ||||||||
'The effect of our bombardment was terrific. One man told me he had never seen so many dead before.' -- War Correspondent. 'HE'D never seen so many dead before.' They sprawled in yellow daylight while he swore And gasped and lugged his everlasting load Of bombs along what once had been a road. 'How peaceful are the dead.' Who put that silly gag in some one's head? 'He'd never seen so many dead before.' The lilting words danced up and down his brain, While corpses jumped and capered in the rain. No, no; he wouldn't count them any more... The dead have done with pain: They've choked; they can't come back to life again. When Dick was killed last week he looked like that, Flapping along the fire-step like a fish, After the blazing crump had knocked him flat... 'How many dead? As many as ever you wish. Don't count 'em; they're too many. Who'll buy my nice fresh corpses, two a penny?' | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...D'ANNUNZIO by ERNEST HEMINGWAY 1915: THE TRENCHES by CONRAD AIKEN TO OUR PRESIDENT by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE HORSES by KATHARINE LEE BATES CHILDREN OF THE WAR by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE U-BOAT CREWS by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE RED CROSS NURSE by KATHARINE LEE BATES WAR PROFITS by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE UNCHANGEABLE by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN |
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