I grant you: peace is desirable. War being, in a figure, its antithesis is wholly detestable to the lover of peace. But there are lovers and lovers. It is stupid to advocate peace in order to have me work in a factory or a field or a mine or a quarry or a forest or on the sea or at a desk or on the ice or at the sea's bottom -- unless I please to do these things. To substitute for me a lesser war for another greater is the hollowest mockery - - to substitute war with fire by war with mud is vilest deception. Either I must have war or none. Peace is noble only when it sends me out a tramp -- my peace made with the world -- a lily of the field if you will. But who is there that advocates peace? I have seen no true apostles. I have read of few. And it is notable that these do not form societies -- Tolstoi to the contrary. Peace requires genius to be preached. It is a rare high thing -- it is not subsidized -- it also has its courage. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE ANGELUS; HEARD AT THE MISSION DOLORES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 1868 by FRANCIS BRET HARTE THE ENTHUSIAST by HERMAN MELVILLE THE WATER WHEEL by ABU ABD ALLAH BROTHER BENEDICT by ALFRED AUSTIN VISIONS: 1 by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) THE CHRISTMAS HOLLY by ELIZA COOK |