Veterans’ Day 2008- The Soldier by Robert Frost

Posted on November 11, 2008 
Filed Under Poetry

The Soldier

by Robert Frost

He is that fallen lance that lies as hurled,
That lies unlifted now, come dew, come rust,
But still lies pointed as it ploughed the dust.
If we who sight along it round the world,
See nothing worthy to have been its mark,
It is because like men we look too near,
Forgetting that as fitted to the sphere,
Our missiles always make too short an arc.
They fall, they rip the grass, they intersect
The curve of earth, and striking, break their own;
They make us cringe for metal-point on stone.
But this we know, the obstacle that checked
And tripped the body, shot the spirit on
Further than target ever showed or shone.

Freedom is never free.

I‘m thankful for all those who have shared in the mission of keeping our country safe, and those who have served on the home front. This poem is shared in memory of my father, who served, and was a POW, in WWII, as well as others who never came back.

Announcements

Have you visited the Never-Ending Book Quiz? Stop by GoodReads to test your knowledge of books and literary analysis. This is not only fun, but just a wee bit educational.

Comments

One Response to “Veterans’ Day 2008- The Soldier by Robert Frost”

  1. Miss Jocelyn on November 14th, 2008 11:26 pm

    Interesting poem. Not sure if I’ve heard it before!

    Thanks for stopping by A Pondering Heart, and entering the CT giveaway!

    Blessings!
    Miss Jocelyn

Leave a Reply