Before Action by William Noel Hodgson - War Poem

By all the glories of the day
And the cool evening's benison
By that last sunset touch that lay
Upon the hills when day was done,
By beauty lavishly outpoured
And blessings carelessly received,
By all the days that I have lived
Make me a soldier, Lord.

By all of all man's hopes and fears
And all the wonders poets sing,
The laughter of unclouded years,
And every sad and lovely thing;
By the romantic ages stored
With high endeavour that was his,
By all his mad catastrophes
Make me a man, O Lord.

I, that on my familiar hill
Saw with uncomprehending eyes
A hundred of thy sunsets spill
Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice,
Ere the sun swings his noonday sword
Must say good-bye to all of this; -
By all delights that I shall miss,
Help me to die, O Lord.

View towards the village of Mametz (far left of the photo on the skyline) from the British Front Line position. Lieutenant Noel Hodgson and the men of 9th Devons were to attack the German Front Line at Mametz from here on 1st July 1916.

This poem was written by William Noel Hodgson. He was born on January 3rd 1893. He was an English poet during the First World War. He was born to Henry Bernard Hodgson. His father was the Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich. He was the youngest children out of four siblings. He entered into The School House of Durham School in September 1905. In 1911, he left Durham. Afterwards he continued his studies at Oxford University. He obtained a degree in Classical Moderations in 1913. On the outbreak of First World War in 1914, he volunteered himself to the British Army.He served with the 9th Battalion the Devonshire Regiment. After a year of training in England, he was sent to Le Havre. He was awarded Military Cross for holding a captured trench for 36 hours without supplies and reinforcements during the Battle of Loos. Because of this also, he was promoted to lieutenant. After the battle, he returned to England and was positioned with his battalion in the front line trenches at Friscourt in February 1916. He then moved to trenches opposite the town of Mametz in April. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st 1916, when attacking the German trenches near Mametz. This poem ‘Before Action’ was published two days before his death. It was commonly belief that he composed the poem knowingly that he will die soon according to the last line of the poem which is “Help me to die, O’Lord”. This poem talks about the nature that the poet saw when he arrived at a place where he will be involved in war. The feeling of fears and hopes in the war by the man/soldier gives away the poet and his comrades’ feeling about the battle that they will encounter later. The poet also mention sunset which can be a symbol of his life was about to end since sunset means that night will come which we can interpret night as death. So sunset was used by the poet to tell us that he will die soon. And also the last line also is like a premonition told by the poet that he will die. All the nature that he saw before will be the last one.