Prayer of a Soldier in France

Joyce Kilmer 1886 (New Brunswick) – 1918 (Seringes-et-Nesles)



1     My shoulders ache beneath my pack
2     (Lie easier, Cross, upon His back).

3     I march with feet that burn and smart
4     (Tread, Holy Feet, upon my heart).

5     Men shout at me who may not speak
6     (They scourged Thy back and smote Thy cheek).

7     I may not lift a hand to clear
8     My eyes of salty drops that sear.

9     (Then shall my fickle soul forget
10   Thy agony of Bloody Sweat?)

11   My rifle hand is stiff and numb
12   (From Thy pierced palm red rivers come).

13   Lord, Thou didst suffer more for me
14   Than all the hosts of land and sea.

15   So let me render back again
16   This millionth of Thy gift. Amen.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 21, 2023

38 sec read
224

Quick analysis:

Scheme AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 638
Words 128
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Joyce Kilmer

Joyce Kilmer was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees", which was published in the collection Trees and Other Poems in 1914. more…

All Joyce Kilmer poems | Joyce Kilmer Books

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