Conscientious Objector Poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Conscientious Objector

Rating: 2.8


I shall die, but
that is all that I shall do for Death.
I hear him leading his horse out of the stall;
I hear the clatter on the barn-floor.
He is in haste; he has business in Cuba,
business in the Balkans, many calls to make this morning.
But I will not hold the bridle
while he clinches the girth.
And he may mount by himself:
I will not give him a leg up.

Though he flick my shoulders with his whip,
I will not tell him which way the fox ran.
With his hoof on my breast, I will not tell him where
the black boy hides in the swamp.
I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for Death;
I am not on his pay-roll.

I will not tell him the whereabout of my friends
nor of my enemies either.
Though he promise me much,
I will not map him the route to any man's door.
Am I a spy in the land of the living,
that I should deliver men to Death?
Brother, the password and the plans of our city
are safe with me; never through me Shall you be overcome.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Codie Shafer 21 July 2008

THIS POEM BLOEWS THE BIG ONE I GOTTA DO A PROJECT FOR SCHOOL FO IT I HATE IT! ! !

5 40 Reply
NANCY BOYD 20 March 2022

WANKER!

1 1
NANCY BOYD 20 March 2022

WANKER!

1 1
3673734242 15 November 2018

dis like death my u can like pown me but u aint powning anybody elsE with my help liek i mean i may be useless to do agaienst u but liike i aint helping u even If it helpin me right

1 2 Reply
kouin 01 April 2018

Swiss Army Questionnaire for C.O.'s.

1 0 Reply

I will die, yes. But I will not serve Death by killing in war, by betraying anyone who is hiding from killers. My death is inevitable, but human killing of one another is a different story. I object and refuse to participate.

5 0 Reply
Colleen Courtney 17 May 2014

Not a big fan of this poem for some unknown reason.

9 19 Reply
John Robinson 24 May 2012

I AHTE THIS PEOM I HAVE TO DO AN ESAY ON THIS FOR 25% OF MY GCSE WTF THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN WRIGHT ABOUT THIS SO I THINK I AM JUST GOING TO SPAM IT LIKE THIS OTHER GUY DID BEFOR

5 13 Reply
NANCY BOYD 20 March 2022

WANKER!

0 1
NANCY BIYD 20 March 2022

WANKER!

0 0
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Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Rockland / Maine / United States
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