Joining The Colours
Katharine Tynan 1861 (Ireland) – 1931
THERE they go marching all in step so gay!
Smooth-cheeked and golden, food for shells and guns.
Blithely they go as to a wedding day,
The mothers' sons.
The drab street stares to see them row on row
On the high tram-tops, singing like the lark.
Too careless-gay for courage, singing they go
Into the dark.
With tin whistles, mouth-organs, any noise,
They pipe the way to glory and the grave;
Foolish and young, the gay and golden boys
Love cannot save.
High heart! High courage! The poor girls they kissed
Run with them : they shall kiss no more, alas!
Out of the mist they stepped-into the mist
Singing they pass.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 144 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 607 |
Words | 113 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Joining The Colours" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/24979/joining-the-colours>.
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