The Poetry Of Charles Sorley: 'Strew your gladness on earth's bed, So be merry, so be dead.''

By Charles Sorley

Charles Hamilton Sorley was born in Aberdeen on 19 May 1895. Charles was an exceptional child with an intelligence beyond his years. By 1900 the family had moved to Cambridge. Charles then continued his education at Marlborough College. A debater of some note he won a scholarship to University College, Oxford. Before taking up his studies Charles decided a year in Germany was to his liking. So in 1913 he went first to Mecklenburg and then to the University of Jena. However with war declared it was obviously not safe to be British and to be in Germany. Charles was interned at Trier but was released after an overnight stay with specific instructions to leave the Country. Charles returned to England and immediately sought to sign up. He enlisted with the Suffolk Regiment as a second lieutenant. When he arrived at the front in France on May 3oth 1915 he was a full Lieutenant. He served near Plogsteert and was promoted to Captain in August. Charles Sorley was killed, shot in the head by a sniper, at the Battle of Loos, on 13 October 1915. His death robbed the world of a talent that would have much to say and of course say it in a way that was quite extraordinary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Copyright Group
• Release date: Mar 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781783949960

Book preview

The Poetry Of Charles Sorley

Charles Hamilton Sorley was born in Aberdeen on 19 May 1895.  Charles was an exceptional child with an intelligence beyond his years. 

By 1900 the family had moved to Cambridge.  Charles then continued his education at Marlborough College.  A debater of some note he won a scholarship to University College, Oxford.  Before taking up his studies Charles decided a year in Germany was to his liking.  So in 1913 he went first to Mecklenburg and then to the University of Jena.  However with war declared it was obviously not safe to be British and to be in Germany.  Charles was interned at Trier but was released after an overnight stay with specific instructions to leave the Country.

Charles returned to England and immediately sought to sign up. He enlisted with the Suffolk Regiment as a second lieutenant.  When he arrived at the front in France on May 3oth 1915 he was a full Lieutenant.  He served near Plogsteert and was promoted to Captain in August.

Charles Sorley was killed, shot in the head by a sniper, at the Battle of Loos, on 13 October 1915.

His death robbed the world of a talent that would have much to say and of course say it in a way that was quite extraordinary.

Index Of Poems

Such, Such Is Death

The Song of the Ungirt Runners

A Letter From the Trenches to a School Friend

When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead

All the Hills and Vales Along aka Route March

Saints Have Adored the Lofty Soul of You

Expectans Expectavi

Rooks

Barbury Camp

Stones

East Kennet Church At Evening

Autumn Dawn

Return

J- B.

The Other Wise Man

Marlborough

Le Revenant

Lost

Rain

A Tale Of Two Careers

   I   Success

   II  Failure

What You Will

A Call to Action

Peace

The River

The Seekers

Rooks (II)

German Rain

Brand

Peer Gynt

To Poets

If I Have Suffered Pain

Whom Therefore We Ignorantly Worship

Deus Loquitur

Of War And Death

To Germany

A Hundred Thousand Million Mites We Go

There Is Such Change In All Those Fields

In Memoriam

Such, Such Is Death

Such, such is Death: no triumph: no defeat: 

Only an empty pail, a slate rubbed clean, 

A merciful putting away of what has been. 

And this we know: Death is not Life, effete, 

Life crushed, the broken pail. We who have seen 

So marvellous things know well the end not yet. 

Victor and vanquished are a-one in death: 

Coward and brave: friend, foe. Ghosts do not say, 

Come, what was your record when you drew breath? 

But a big blot has hid each yesterday 

So poor, so manifestly incomplete. 

And your bright Promise, withered long and sped, 

Is touched, stirs, rises, opens and grows sweet 

And blossoms and