Publisher's Synopsis
Originally published in 1990, this volume is an important addition to the literature on war and conflict and to the poetry of the 20th century. From Wilfred Owen, to Siegfried Sassoon, from Rupert Brooke to John McCrae, poetry has been recognised as an authentic voice of war. This volume adds another dimension to that voice! "It's a safe bet that most Second War servicemen and women didn't know an iambic from a pentameter but that didn't stop a surprising number of them from writing poetry... Maybe there is a bit of poet in most human beings, just waiting a chance for expression." The Maple Leaf was a Canadian Army newspaper published during the war and it published a regular feature entitled 'Rhyme and Reason', a weekly collection of soldier poems. The poems in this volume come from that publication. The poets were not professionals, far from it. But each poet/soldier crafted words into poetry in order to convey their thoughts, feelings, experiences. Each poem reflects immediacy and authenticity. Every reader cannot but be deeply touched and affected by the poems contained in this book. The volume features poems on various themes: Heroism, Fear/Death, Daily Thoughts/Living, Dreams, Hope, Love, Peace/Freedom. The volume concludes with a poem by Kjaer Jensen, written on 27 October 1945: So, though I know in years to come / Peace on earth will reign: / The memory of his worn-torn soul, / Forever will remain.
