Francis Ledwidge (1891-1917)
Soliloquy
1When I was young I had a care
2Lest I should cheat me of my share
3Of that which makes it sweet to strive
4For life, and dying still survive,
5A name in sunshine written higher
6Than lark or poet dare aspire.
7But I grew weary doing well.
8Besides, 'twas sweeter in that hell,
9Down with the loud banditti people
10Who robbed the orchards, climbed the steeple
11For jackdaws' eyes and made the cock
12Crow ere 'twas daylight on the clock.
13I was so very bad the neighbours
14Spoke of me at their daily labours.
15And now I'm drinking wine in France,
16The helpless child of circumstance.
17To-morrow will be loud with war,
18How will I be accounted for?
19It is too late now to retrieve
20A fallen dream, too late to grieve
21A name unmade, but not too late
22To thank the gods for what is great;
23A keen-edged sword, a soldier's heart,
24Is greater than a poet's art.
25And greater than a poet's fame
26A little grave that has no name.
Online text copyright © 2009, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: The Complete Poems of Francis Ledwidge, intro. by Lord Dunsany (London: Herbert Jenkins, 1919): 259-60. British Library 011649.g.88
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: RPO 2001
Recent editing: 2:2002/2/21
Form: couplets
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