If you are without Adobe flash, this animation is missing.

Rain by Charles Sorley

 
POETS
Wilfred Owen
John McCrae
Isaac Rosenberg
Siegfried Sassoon
Rupert Brooke
Charles Sorley
Alan Seeger
William Hodgson
Herbert Read
Edward Thomas
 
POSTERS
British War Posters
American Posters
German Posters
Australian Posters
Italian Posters
French Posters
 
PHOTOGRAPHS
British War Photos
American Photos
German Photos
French Photos
 
WAR ARTISTS
War Artists
 
LINKS
War Links
 
WALLPAPER
War Desktop
 
ABOUT
About/Contact
 
SITEMAP
Website Contents

[Alan Seeger] [Charles Hamilton Sorley] [Edward Thomas] [Herbert Read] [Isaac Rosenberg] [John McCrae]
[Rupert Brooke] [Siegfried Sassoon] [Wilfred Owen] [William Noel Hodgson]

Search Poems: Optional Keyword:
print war poemView Print Version
del.ic.ous, world war picturesdiggtechnoratifacebookredditstumbleupontwitter

Rain

By Charles Sorley

WHEN the rain is coming down,
And all Court is still and bare,
And the leaves fall wrinkled, brown,
Through the kindly winter air,
And in tattered flannels I
`Sweat' beneath a tearful sky,
And the sky is dim and grey,
And the rain is coming down,
And I wander far away
From the little red-capped town:
There is something in the rain
That would bid me to remain:
There is something in the wind
That would whisper, "Leave behind
All this land of time and rules,
Land of bells and early schools.
Latin, Greek and College food
Do you precious little good.
Leave them: if you would be free
Follow, follow, after me I"
When I reach 'Four Miler's' height,
And I look abroad again
On the skies of dirty white
And the drifting veil of rain,
And the bunch of scattered hedge
Dimly swaying on the edge,
And the endless stretch of downs
Clad in green and silver gowns;
There is something in their dress
Of bleak barren ugliness,
That would whisper, "You have read
Of a land of light and glory:
But believe not what is said.
'Tis a kingdom bleak and hoary,
Where the winds and tempests call
And the rain sweeps over all.
Heed not what the preachers say
Of a good land far away.
Here's a better land and kind
And it is not far to find."

Therefore, when we rise and sing
Of a distant land, so fine,
Where the bells for ever ring,
And the suns for ever shine:
Singing loud and singing grand,
Of a happy far-off land,
O! I smile to hear the song,
For I know that they are wrong,
That the happy land and gay
Is not very far away,
And that I can get there soon
Any rainy afternoon.

And when summer comes again,
And the downs are dimpling green,
And the air is free from rain,
And the clouds no longer seen:
Then I know that they have gone
To find a new camp further on,
Where there is no shining sun
To throw light on what is done,
Where the summer can't intrude
On the fort where winter stood:
--Only blown and drenching grasses,
Only rain that never passes,
Moving mists and sweeping wind,
And I follow them behind!

October 1912



world war poets, wilfed owen, john mcrae...
Search Poems: Optional Keyword:
 

 

SOCIAL BOOKMARKS
del.ic.ous, world war picturesDel.ic.ous diggDigg technoratiTechnorati facebookFacebook redditReddit twitterTwitter stumbleuponStumble Upon


[Home] [World War I Posters] [World War Artists] [War Photos] [War Poets]
[WWII Desktop] [World War Links] [Sitemap]



Liberation, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
Liberation


Forward America!, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
Forward America!


Terre de France, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
Terre de France


Enlist Now, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
Enlist Now


Last Cartridges, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
Last Cartridges


They Fight, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
They Fight


Pour la victoire!, war poster, photo, wwi, wwii
Pour la victoire!