Edmund Blunden

A friend of Siegfried Sassoon the great writer yet in his own right a literary man of note
And though the name of Edmund Blunden nowadays seldom mentioned one well might say England's forgotten poet
Yet his great poem Almswomen lives on as a classic one I can still recall from school going days
And why should we forget this man of letters when he is one well worthy of our praise.

As well as a poet he was a literary patron he first brought to public attention the poems of Wilfred Owen
Like he himself was a poet and a soldier at a time when the author of the 'Anthem Of Doomed Youth' was not well known
He also introduced to the public the poems of Ivor Gurney as well as publishing some of the unpublished poems of John Clare
He was one not shy in promoting others and people like him sad to say too rare.

In nineteen seventeen and eighteen he fought in France at Ypres when war raged in the green French countryside
And he wrote poems about his fallen comrades and about that beautiful part of France by war destroyed
'Twas said back then the war that would end all wars but wars are still declared and fought today
To resolve disputes humans resort to violence we seldom ever seek the peaceful way.

The Poor Man's Pig, The Pike and The Child's Grave poetic gems from Edmund Blunden's pen
But 'tis sad to think his works are under rated and he's one of poetry's forgotten men
Yet I for one will always read his verses and admire the beauty that he did create
And one day his fame will be resurrected and his name will live on as a poetic great.