Towards the Light

Item

Towards the Light

Once o'er those downs wild beacons blazed,

Weird messengers of fate and fight,

She was not wild, dismayed, or dazed,

But calmly looked towards the light --

Towards the light that springs from night,

As sure as courage springs from faith.

So now, when like some hideous wraith

War mocks, with bodings from the dead,

Our moonlit harvests, swathe on swathe,

May she, dear England, lift her head

Towards the light, towards the light --

Praying that God defend the right.

WALTER SICHEL

Westminster Gazette, August 10, 1914
Title
Towards the Light
Identifier
greatwar_lane044
Item sets
Songs & Sonnets for England in War Time
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Towards the Light</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Once</span> o'er those downs wild beacons blazed,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Weird messengers of fate and fight,</p><p class="line"><em>She</em> was not wild, dismayed, or dazed,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">But calmly looked towards the light --</p><p class="line">Towards the light that springs from night,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">As sure as courage springs from faith.</p><p class="line">So now, when like some hideous wraith</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">War mocks, with bodings from the dead,</p><p class="line">Our moonlit harvests, swathe on swathe,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">May she, dear England, lift her head</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Towards the light, towards the light --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:4%">Praying that God defend the right.</p></div><p class="byline">WALTER SICHEL</p><em>Westminster Gazette, August</em> 10, 1914</body></html>