I went to a lecture on World War One literature the other day (it’s the final unit for my English Literature A-level, I’m don’t hold a particular fascination with ‘the great war’, if you was wondering) and we were given hand outs to accompany the talk. Within the document I found this poem by Vera Brittain in memory of her fiance Roland who was tragically killed in the war:

Perhaps

Perhaps some day the sun will shine again,
And I shall see that still the skies are blue,
And feel once more I do not live in vain,
Although bereft of You.

Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet
Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,
And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet,
Though You have passed away.

Perhaps the summer woods will shimmer bright,
And crimson roses once again be fair,
And autumn harvest fields a rich delight,
Although You are not there.

Perhaps some day I shall not shrink in pain
To see the passing of the dying year,
And listen to Christmas songs again,
Although You cannot hear.’

But though kind Time may many joys renew,
There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You
Was broken, long ago.

I thought this poem was really beautiful at the same time as being extremely vivid in demonstrating the emotional pain Brittain must have felt when hearing of Roland’s death. I feel that in the current state of affairs in Iraq where soldiers are being killed on what seems like a regular basis, it is vital to remember that this has all happened before yet we are still at war causing this level of heartache for many people.

Perhaps one day, we will realise that war isn’t the answer and that it only leads to the excruciating emotional pain demonstrated so well by Brittain in her poem.