The soldier is poor without the poet's lines, His petty syllabi, the sounds that stick, Inevitably modulating, in the blood. And war for war, each has its gallant kind. How simply the fictive hero becomes the real; How gladly with proper words the solider dies, If he must, or lives on the bread of faithful speech.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Words and stories give soldiers meaning and courage during war.
- In plain terms
- Poetry helps soldiers cope with war.
- What can you take from it?
- Use stories to find meaning in hardship.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can words save a life?
- Why do we tell war stories?
Another view
It may romanticize war by focusing on heroic language.
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