The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-01-14
KIPLING'S WAR POEM.
British Nation Rebuked For Its
Self Complacency.
FOREIGN INvAsICE HINTEp AT.

'Do fe wait FOR Spattered shrnp-
mel Ere Ye Learn How Gun l.
Laidt" Asks the Author - Demand
Made of the People That They RE-
main Active and Alert.
Kipllng's new poem, "The Island.
ers." which was printed In full in the
London Times the other morning, is |
both In Great Britain and !
the United States and therefore cannot |
be published I'm extenso in either coun- |
try except by the owners of the copy
right. In brief, IL is n rebuke to Eng
lishmen for not having "A larger, more
formidable and more enthusiastic
army. The poet declares that every
man should be taught to bear arms
aud hints at the danger of foreign in
vasion. The poem opens with rebuke
to British self complacency, in the
course of which is written:
Fenced by your careful fathers,
Hinged by your leaden seas,
Long did ye wake in quiet
And long lie down at ease
TIL We said OF strife, What is IT.
OF the sword. II is far from our ken
TIL We made sport of your shrunken
hosts
And a toy OF your armed men.
The poet draws a picture of Britain
before the Boer war and sneers at the
fact that ablcbodied Englanders re-
mained at home when the first call
came. while street boys and colonials
were sent to the front, while the moth
er country presented them with com
fits" and pictures" TO help them harry
her foes:
And ye vaunted your fathomless power.
And ye Haunted your iron pride,
Ere ye fawned on the younger nations
For the men who could shoot and ride.
Then ye returned to your trinkets,
Then ye contented your souls
with the fanneled fools at the wickets
or the muddled OATS at the goals
Given to strong delusion.
| Wholly believing "a lie.
Ye saw that the land lay fenceless
| And yet let the months 80 by.
Waiting some easy wonder,
Hoping some saving sign,
| Idle. openly idle.
In the lee Of the forespent line
Idle except for your boasting,
And what is your boasting worth
| II ye grudge year of service
To the lordliest line on earth2
Ancient, effortless. ordered.
Cycle on cycle set,
Life so long untroubled
That ye who inherit forget
For England was not the work OF
chance or moments.
1t was not made with the mountains;
| II is not one with the deep.
Men, not gods, devised IT.
Men, not gods. must keep.
The poet then warns his countrymer
against invasion. do ye wait" h'
cries, "for spattered shrapnel ere "
learn how n gun is laidp And h'
asks whether the rabbit will war will
Enliands foemen or "the red dee
horn them for hire" and then, whs
invaders come
VIII ye pray them or preach them o
print them
or ballot them back from your shore ?
VIII your workmen issue IA mandate
And bid them strike no more?
VIII ye rise and dethrone your rulers
= Because ye were idle. both
Pride by insolence chastened.
Incidence purged by sloth?
No, he continues, the salvation o
2 England is 10 be found in her me
trained TO the use of arms, and he dc
mnnds of the people that they renal
:, active and alert until leach man Dor
in the island be broke TO the matter Q
war;" then fear OF foes will have sui
sided in the growing consciousness c
actual might The race will be n
}. generated when men, not children {
servants" shall be tempered an
taught TO the end
l. Cieansed OF servile panic.
{ Slow to dread or despise,
i Humble. because of knowledge,