Prose & Poetry - The Muse in Arms - Before Action
Updated - Wednesday, 25 June, 2003

First published in London in November 1917 and reprinted in February 1918 The Muse in Arms comprised, in the words of editor E. B. Osborne:

"A collection of war poems, for the most part written in the field of action, by seamen, soldiers, and flying men who are serving, or have served, in the Great War".

Of the book's total of 131 poems this category - Before Action - contains eight.  Each can be accessed using the sidebar to the right.  Each of the poems in Before Action relate in some way to the feelings of individual soldiers in the immediate anticipation of going into action.

Summarised below is a list of the poems available within this category:

• Julian Grenfell - Into Battle

• William Noel Hodgson - Before Action

• John W. Streets - Love of Life

• Robert Graves - Big Words

• Robert Nichols - The Approach

• Ivor Gurney - To the Poet Before Battle

• Siegfried Sassoon - Absolution

• Richard Molesworth Dennys - Better Far to Pass Away

"Beachy Bill" was the name given to one of the Turkish guns which regularly shelled Anzac Cove.

Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-07, SafeSurf Rated