The Last Laugh

Wilfred Owen

 Next Poem          

'Oh! Jesus Christ! I'm hit,' he said; and died.
Whether he vainly cursed or prayed indeed,
The Bullets chirped-In vain, vain, vain!
Machine-guns chuckled,-Tut-tut! Tut-tut!
And the Big Gun guffawed.

Another sighed,-'O Mother, -Mother, - Dad!'
Then smiled at nothing, childlike, being dead.
And the lofty Shrapnel-cloud
Leisurely gestured,-Fool!
And the splinters spat, and tittered.

'My Love!' one moaned. Love-languid seemed his mood,
Till slowly lowered, his whole faced kissed the mud.
And the Bayonets' long teeth grinned;
Rabbles of Shells hooted and groaned;
And the Gas hissed.

Next Poem 

 Back to Wilfred Owen
Get a free collection of Classic Poetry ↓

Receive the ebook in seconds 50 poems from 50 different authors


To be able to leave a comment here you must be registered. Log in or Sign up.

Comments1
  • bertluisax

    Wow, quite a read. Loved how the war equipment were personified, yknow, bullets chirping and machine guns chuckling like they're living things. Kind of makes war seem like a show with a wicked sense of humor. Sent chills down my spine when "his whole face kissed the mud". Tragic yet so powerful. Proves wars casualties aren't just numbers but people with love and life - real eye opener, this is.