<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Germania</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Surgeon</span> her, world! Let myriad scalpels bright</p><p class="line">Flash in her sores with all thy bitter might,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">So that their aching cease.</p><p class="line">Cut clean the cursed canker that doth foul</p><p class="line">Her spirit; tent and cleanse her sorry soul,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">And give her bosom peace.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We do not smite a nation, but a pest;</p><p class="line">Humanity makes reasonable quest</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">To free a noble slave.</p><p class="line">Full deep she groans and faints, and fainting feels</p><p class="line">Archaic torture of a tyrant's heels</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">Grinding her to her grave.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Possessed of devils now, mad with her woes,</p><p class="line">She wounds the world and turns her friends to foes;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">But cast her devils down</p><p class="line">And broken, humbled, contrite, healed and sane</p><p class="line">Oh may she shine her glorious self again --</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">Pearl in Europa's crown.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">And they accurs'd, who bred this in her heart,</p><p class="line">Shall from the councils of mankind depart,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">While over sea and shore,</p><p class="line">The silver trumpets of the sunrise cry</p><p class="line">That earth pursue her solemn destiny</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:10%">By blood and iron no more.</p></div><p class="byline">EDEN PHILLPOTTS</p><em>Daily Chronicle, August</em> 17, 1914</body></html> · Great War