Country Sentiment

by Robert Graves

Country Sentiment (1920) was Graves' attempt to escape from the horrors of our post-World War I era. He remained haunted by the memory of the war, as were many for the rest of their days, while others were able to wipe the memory and move on.

An illustration for the story Country Sentiment by the author Robert Graves — Three chaps in a boat on the Mary River, 1920-1930

Gulp down your wine, old friends of mine,
Roar through the darkness, stamp and sing
And lay ghost hands on everything,
But leave the noonday's warm sunshine
To living lads for mirth and wine.

I met you suddenly down the street,
Strangers assume your phantom faces,
You grin at me from daylight places,
Dead, long dead, I'm ashamed to greet
Dead men down the morning street.

Featured in our collection of World War I Literature

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