He was just a small church parson when the war broke out, and he Looked and dressed and acted like all parsons that we see. He wore the cleric's broadcloth and he hooked his vest behind. But he had a man's religion and he had a stong man's mind. And he heard the call to duty, and he quit his church and went. And he bravely tramped right with 'em every- where the boys were sent. He put aside his broadcloth and he put the khaki on; Said he'd come to be a soldier and was going to live like one. Then he'd refereed the prize fights that the boys pulled off at night, And if no one else was handy he'd put on the gloves and fight. He wasn't there a fortnight ere he saw the sol- diers' needs, And he said: "I'm done with preaching; this is now the time for deeds." He learned the sound of shrapnel, he could tell the size of shell From the shriek it make above him, and he knew just where it fell. In the front line trench he laboured, and he knew the feel of mud, And he didn't run from danger and he wasn't scared of blood. He wrote letters for the wounded, and he cheered them with his jokes, And he never made a visit without passing round the smokes. Then one day a bullet got him, as he knelt be- side a lad Who was "going west" right speedy, and they both seemed mighty glad, ' Cause he held the boy's hand tighter, and he smiled and whispered low, " Now you needn't fear the journey; over there with you I'll go." And they both passed out together, arm in arm I think they went. He had kept his vow to follow everywhere the boys were sent.Edgar A. Guest
About This Quote
This poem is about a man who has dedicated his life to the war and has seen many different things. The first stanza tells us that he had not been a man of God before entering the war, and it shows how he was dressed and acted like all parsons and wore the cleric's broadcloth and hooked his vest behind. The second stanza shows that he had a man's religion, and the third shows that he had a strong man's mind. The last two stanzas tell us where this man went.
He went to be a soldier and was going to live like one. He quit his church and went, and he bravely tramped right with them every-where the boys were sent. He put aside his broadcloth and he put the khaki on.
He said he would come to be a soldier and was going to live like one. Then one day a bullet got him as he knelt beside a lad who was "going west" right speedy, and they both seemed mighty glad because he held the boy's hand tighter, and he smiled and whispered low, "Now you needn't fear the journey; over there with you I'll go." And they both passed out together, arm in arm I think they went. This poem ends with him having kept his vow to follow everywhere the boys were sent because of his loyalty to the war.
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