Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE MADNESS OF WAR, by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE MADNESS OF WAR, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Two men in austria whispered the dread word
Last Line: Or rends with anguish one poor woman's heart.
Subject(s): War


Two men in Austria whispered the dread word,
Then two in France or Germany, and then --
A world in woe! Like silly flocks of sheep
Driv'n to the shambles, bleating as they go
With quavered songs of country and of king,
Millions of men -- at bidding of those four!
Statesmen, they plunge the state in misery.
Lawmakers, thus they lead in lawlessness.
Chosen to guide in happy, prosperous ways,
They pipe to ruin, they, the fatal four,
And all the foolish world troops after them!

If these, the men so blindly drawn to death,
These artisans that will not labor more,
These farmers that will plough no field again,
These poets that will sing no song again,
These builders that will rear no house again,
These husbands that will never see their wives,
These sons, these brothers, all these lovers gay
That march so blithely to the battle-field
And to a blood-soaked grave -- if they could know
The reason for it all, could think it out,
Debate it in the villages, decide
As men should reason, not as blundering beasts;
If they could fight for some far-shining truth,
Some pulsing vision of the rights of men,
Some golden vision of the joys of men,
Some flaming vision of the love of men,
For liberty, and peace, and brotherhood --
If thus they fought -- why, war would not be war.

Oh, mad contagion of a people's pride!
Oh, plunging passion of a nation's wrath!
Oh, mock of reason and democracy!
Some day, from out this welter of the brute,
This crudity of anger and of fear,
This weak submission to the little souls --
Some day will rise the Brotherhood of Man.
First, it will grow in one imperial breast;
Then others, swiftly others, catch the light;
Then all the hearts of men will burst aflame.
What barriers will then be burned away!
What bars of rivers, deserts, mountain, sea!
What sunderings of language and of creed,
Of customs and of history! What fence
Of stupid prejudice -- all burned away!

Till then -- ah, ye that live the larger life,
That look above the walls, clasp brotherhands!
Cry boldly down the narrowness of fools,
Hurl reason at the fallacies of hate,
Meet mock heroics with a hero's rage!
The world is one! Refuse the lesser goals!
The world is one! Disdain the trivial calls!
The world is one! Fling far the great appeal!
Confront the petty patriots with the fire
Of worthy country-love, that loves mankind.
Face horrid war with war's own crushing might,
And hurl it to the chaos of the past!

Then shall we build the Order of the World.
Then, in a courteous honor each of each,
Shall frame the lawful fabric of the globe.
Then shall we love our countries fervently,
The more for brother-love of other lands.
Then shall we spend for peace as now for war.
Then shall we strive for peace as now for war,
With passion of heroic energy.
Then shall we find in peace, as now in war,
Urging and scope for all of mankind's best.
Then shall we see the shame of any deed
That brings a tear to one poor little child,
Or rends with anguish one poor woman's heart.





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