In the autumn of 1914, the TLS published a number of poems by some of the foremost poets of the day – Robert Bridges, John Drinkwater, Walter de la Mare – in response to the war which had begun in August. Most of these strike a note of national resolve – "in our heart of hearts believing" – which was to be eclipsed and even mocked by time and in the work of serving soldiers, those we now know as the War Poets. The best known of these pre-Remembrance poems is Hardy's "Song of the Soldiers", whose repeated phrase, "Men who march away" gave Ian Parsons the title for his anthology of poems of the First World War (1987). Hardy's poem was printed in the TLS of September 10, 1914.

Song of the Soldiers

What of the faith and fire within us
Men who march away
Ere the barn-cocks say
Night is growing gray,
To hazards whence no tears can win us;
What of the faith and fire within us
Men who march away?

Is it a purblind prank, O think you,
Friend with the musing eye
Who watch us stepping by,
With doubt and dolorous sigh?
Can much pondering so hoodwink you?
Is it a purblind prank, O think you,
Friend with the musing eye?

Nay. We see well what we are doing,
Though some may not see –
Dalliers as they be! –
England's need are we;
Her distress would leave us rueing:
Nay. We well see what we are doing,
Though some may not see!

In our heart of hearts believing
Victory crowns the just,
And that braggarts must
Surely bite the dust,
Press we to the field ungrieving,
In our heart of hearts believing
Victory crowns the just.

Hence the faith and fire within us
Men who march away
Ere the barn-cocks say
Night is growing gray,
To hazards whence no tears can win us;
Hence the faith and fire within us
Men who march away.

THOMAS HARDY (1914)

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