Remembrance Day Thoughts — Poetry and WW1

Polzeath, Cornwall, view from Pentire Point; the spot where Laurence Binyon composed the famous stanza - Wikimedia Commons (Dwyatt 101)

‘For the Fallen’ is one of the most well-known poems, not only of its author Laurence Binyon, but in fact of all war poetry. Often recited at Remembrance Day services, it seems to strike the right note of solemn dignity, lauding the sacrifices of English soldiers who died in the First World War without being glib about the terror and tragedy of war. The famous fourth stanza is one that Binyon composed first of all…