He answered not, and they went on. 
  The glory of the heavens was gone;
  The moon gleamed not nor any star;
  Cold winds were rustling near and far,
  And from the trees the dry leaves fell
  With a sad sound unspeakable.

  The air was cold; till from the South
  A gust blew hot, like sudden drouth,
  Into their faces; and a light
  Glowing and red, shone thro’ the night.

  A mighty city full of flame
  And death and sounds without a name. 
  Amid the black and blinding smoke,
  The people, as one man, awoke. 
  Oh! happy they who yesterday
  On the long journey went away;
  Whose pallid lips, smiling and chill,
  While the flames scorch them smile on still;
  Who murmur not; who tremble not
  When the bier crackles fiery hot;
  Who, dying, said in love’s increase: 
  “Lord, let thy servant part in peace.”

  Those in the town could see and hear
  A shaded river flowing near;
  The broad deep bed could hardly hold
  Its plenteous waters calm and cold. 
  Was flame-wrapped all the city wall,
  The city gates were flame-wrapped all.

  What was man’s strength, what puissance then? 
  Women were mighty as strong men. 
  Some knelt in prayer, believing still,
  Resigned unto a righteous will,
  Bowing beneath the chastening rod,
  Lost to the world, but found of God. 
  Some prayed for friend, for child, for wife;
  Some prayed for faith; some prayed for life;
  While some, proud even in death, hope gone,
  Steadfast and still, stood looking on.

  “Death—­death—­oh! let us fly from death;
  Where’er we go it followeth;
  All these are dead; and we alone
  Remain to weep for what is gone. 
  What is this thing? thus hurriedly
  To pass into eternity;
  To leave the earth so full of mirth;
  To lose the profit of our birth;
  To die and be no more; to cease,
  Having numbness that is not peace. 
  Let us go hence; and, even if thus
  Death everywhere must go with us,
  Let us not see the change, but see
  Those who have been or still shall be.”

  He sighed and they went on together;
  Beneath their feet did the grass wither;
  Across the heaven high overhead
  Dark misty clouds floated and fled;
  And in their bosom was the thunder,
  And angry lightnings flashed out under,
  Forked and red and menacing;
  Far off the wind was muttering;
  It seemed to tell, not understood,
  Strange secrets to the listening wood.

  Upon its wings it bore the scent
  Of blood of a great armament: 
  Then saw they how on either side
  Fields were down-trodden far and wide. 
  That morning at the break of day
  Two nations had gone forth to slay.

  As a man soweth so he reaps. 
  The field was full of bleeding heaps;
  Ghastly corpses of men and horses
  That met death at a thousand sources;
  Cold limbs and putrifying flesh;
  Long love-locks clotted to a mesh
  That stifled; stiffened mouths beneath
  Staring eyes that had looked on death.