The General Poem by Siegfried Sassoon
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.
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!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/23/2024 9:36:59 PM # 1.0.0.1119
Even now the revisionists are trying to rewrite the history of WW1 to exculpate the generals. They should be made to write this poem out over and over.