These fought in any case,
and some believing
pro domo, in any case …..

Died some, pro patria,
walked eye-deep in hell
believing in old men’s lies, then unbelieving
came home, home to a lie,
home to many deceits,
home to old lies and new infamy;
usury age-old and age-thick
and liars in public places.

Daring as never before, wastage as never before.
Young blood and high blood,
fair cheeks, and fine bodies;

fortitude as never before

frankness as never before,
disillusions as never told in the old days,
hysterias, trench confessions,
laughter out of dead bellies.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Ezra Pound's poem These Fought in Any Case

2 Comments

  1. Sheryl Skoglund says:

    frankness as never before,
    disillusions as never told in the old days,
    hysterias, trench confessions,
    laughter out of dead bellies.
    Hysterical or panic laugh. Death of humans told in frankness.

  2. Katie says:

    The posted peom is missing the second paragraph:
    Some quick to arm
    some for adventure
    some from fear of weakness
    some form fear of censure
    some for love of slaughter, in imagination,
    learning later…
    some in fear, learningn love in slaughter

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