The General by Siegfried Sassoon

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The General

‘Good-morning; good-morning!’ the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ’em dead,
And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
‘He’s a cheery old card,’ grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

. . . .
But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

Siegfried Sassoon

Read poems about / on: soldier, smile

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Pierre Durhomme (10/20/2007 10:40:00 AM)
I have always admired Sassoon's prose, but his (anti) war poetry is just superb. This simple poem says so much about upper class stupidity in the Great War... and that last line is heart wrenching. I love it!