Through a Glass Darkly, by General George S Patton Jnr - Famous poems, famous poets. - All Poetry

Through a Glass Darkly,

Perhaps I stabbed our Savior
In His sacred helpless side.
Yet I've called His name in blessing
When in after times I died.

Through the travail of the ages
Midst the pomp and toil of war
Have I fought and strove and perished
Countless times upon this star.

I have sinned and I have suffered
Played the hero and the knave
Fought for belly, shame or country
And for each have found a grave.

So as through a glass and darkly
The age long strife I see
Where I fought in many guises,
Many names — but always me.

So forever in the future
Shall I battle as of yore,
Dying to be born a fighter
But to die again once more.

Analysis (ai): "Through a Glass Darkly" grapples with themes of reincarnation and the cyclical nature of human existence, exploring the myriad lives and guises an individual has inhabited throughout the ages. The speaker reflects on past experiences, acknowledging both their transgressions and their moments of grace.

The poem's introspective tone and exploration of the human condition mirror Patton's military career, which was marked by both triumph and adversity. It deviates from Patton's more direct and forceful writing style, revealing a contemplative and introspective side of the general.

Compared to the optimistic tone and patriotic fervor of his other works, such as "Blood and Guts," "Through a Glass Darkly" offers a nuanced and somber perspective on the endless cycle of conflict and renewal. The poem echoes the prevailing pessimism and uncertainty that characterized the post-World War II era, a time when the atomic bomb and the Cold War cast a shadow over the future.

The speaker's recognition that he has "fought and strove and perished... countless times" suggests a weary acceptance of the inevitability of death and rebirth, a theme that resonates with the historical context of war and its toll on human life.

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Likes: waltband, Alvitar, Spycrab, Art9

Art9 - There are 24 verses in all. And you chop it up like this. And the verses aren't even in order. SHAME ON YOU. P.S. Coppola doen't have a U in it.

on Oct 26 2023 06:04 PM PST x edit

Waltband - !!!!!!

on Nov 15 2022 01:39 AM PST x edit

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General George S Patton Jnr Follow

Francis Ford Cuppola's film, Patton, has helped to promote an on-going interest in the life and contributions of General George Smith Patton,Jr. Patton became one of the most distinguished generals to serve in the U.S. military with his brilliant military strategies, extensive knowledge of classic history and world philosophies, and his driven passion to be the best. He predicted that Japan would develop air strikes against the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1930s. He also predicted the Cold War years before it took place. His uncanny ability to "predict" was the result of his intimate working knowledge of how all histories were a thread that needed to be studied and analy

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