The Old Soldier

Katharine Tynan 1861 (Ireland) – 1931



Lest the young soldiers be strange in heaven,
God bids the old soldier they all adored
Come to Him and wait for them, clean, new-shriven,
A happy doorkeeper in the House of the Lord.

Lest it abash them, the strange new splendour,
Lest it affright them, the new robes clean;
Here's an old face, now, long-tried, and tender,
A word and a hand-clasp as they troop in.

'My boys,' he greets them: and heaven is homely,
He their great captain in days gone o'er;
Dear is the friend's face, honest and comely,
Waiting to welcome them by the strange door.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 17, 2023

31 sec read
107

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CXCX DCDC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 543
Words 103
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

Katharine Tynan

Katharine Tynan was an Irish-born writer, known mainly for her novels and poetry. more…

All Katharine Tynan poems | Katharine Tynan Books

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