No! Poem by Jessie Pope

No!

Rating: 3.2


By bridge and battery, town and trench,
They're fighting with bull-dog pluck;
Not one, from Tommy to General French,
Is down upon his luck.
There are some who stand and some who fall,
But how does the chorus go
That echoing chant in the hearts of all?
'Are we downhearted? NO!'
There's Jack, God bless him, upon the foam,
His isn't an easy task,
To strike for England, to strike right home,
So much, no more, does he ask.
On the dreadnought's deck where the big guns bark,
Or in quiet depths below
The salt wind wafts us a chantey. Hark !
' Are we downhearted ? NO !'

And what of the girl who is left behind,
And the wife who misses her mate ?
Oh, well, we've got our business to mind
Though it's only to watch and wait.
So we'll take what comes with a gallant heart
As we busily knit and sew,
Trying, God help us, to do our part,
' Are we downhearted ? NO !'

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Sarah Shahzad 10 January 2020

Such beautiful work..

0 0 Reply
Susan Williams 01 December 2015

There is something gallant about a person saying no, isn't there

30 5 Reply
* Sunprincess * 29 August 2014

...............no is the most powerful word in the English language....it has tremendous power....use it very carefully....

7 4 Reply
Mohammad Skati 29 August 2014

It's really a great poem.

3 8 Reply
Constance K Yost 29 August 2012

Thanks, PH for Jessie's wonderful No, it was very popular when I was 2-3 years old.

5 7 Reply
Dingoatemymax 05 November 2018

Jessie pope didn't even fight when men were risking there lives everyday for us and she was sitting at home safe engineering lies.

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Jessie Pope

Jessie Pope

Leicestershire, England
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