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What is this poem portraying?

ngland, in this great fight to which you go
Because, where Honour calls you, go you must,
Be glad, whatever comes, at least to know
You have your quarrel just.

Peace was your care; before the nations' bar
Her cause you pleaded and her ends you sought;
But not for her sake, being what you are,
Could you be bribed and bought.

Others may spurn the pledge of land to land,
May with the brute sword stain a gallant past;
But by the seal to which you set your hand,
Thank God, you still stand fast!

Forth, then, to front that peril of the deep
With smiling lips and in your eyes the light,
Steadfast and confident, of those who keep
Their storied scutcheon bright.

And we, whose burden is to watch and wait--
High-hearted ever, strong in faith and prayer,
We ask what offering we may consecrate,
What humble service share.

To steel our souls against the lust of ease;
To find our welfare in the common good;
To hold together, merging all degrees
In one wide brotherhoo

2007-11-14 14:40:35 · 3 answers · asked by Johnny Carson 2 in Arts & Humanities Poetry

3 answers

The first word is England. It is about patriotism, paying homage to the world war that England felt upon to get into.

Read this also that I came across on one site:

One cannot help but think about Seaman's title "Pro Patria" in connection with Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est"; both titles come from the same line by Horace, "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori [It is sweet and proper to die for one's country]." Owen uses the reference ironically, but Seaman is quite sincere in his allusion to the line from Horace.
These two poems, set side by side, suggest much about the way in which the two generations viewed the war and the sacrifices that young men felt they were being asked to make by the older men who wielded the power and decided the diplomacy. But that is a common enough sentiment, even today: "Old men make wars that young men have to fight."
***
This coes from a related site and it will help you a lot too:

The dedication was later changed to "A Certain Poetess, " referring to all the poets in England, like Jessie Pope, who wrote highly patriotic verse. An example of one of these poems is called Pro Patria* by Owen Seaman. If you look at it you can see why Owen was angry at such verse that was ignorant of the true horrors of the war. It is the complacency of the propagandists in England that seem to fuel Owen's anger more than the war itself--the real "enemy" for Owen were the likes of Seaman and Pope. The similarity in the titles of the poem may well not be a coincidence--perhaps it is a deliberate allusion Owen had it in mind.



good luck

2007-11-14 21:55:58 · answer #1 · answered by ari-pup 7 · 0 0

I often spend my half an hour to read this blog's posts daily along with a mug of coffee.

2016-08-26 06:51:09 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

let's go fight

and be a hero

2007-11-17 18:59:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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