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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
British writers on peace and war
Lewis Morris: Selections on war and peace
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Lewis Morris
From Ode Sung at the First Co-operative Festival (1888)
Come let us sing together a new song,
The triumph of the weak made strong;
The victories of peace we celebrate,
Not those of war and hate.
The victories of peace, won after many days:
Let us our voices tune to joy and praise;
Come let us sing a new and happy song!
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From To John Bright
Friend of the friendless else, and art thou dead?
Great Master of our vigorous Saxon speech,
Unwearied pleader for the people’s
Hater of war, strong to convince and teach,
With passionate faith and indignation strong,
Mighty to slay the hydra-heads of wrong.
Thy voice was aye for Freedom, and thy heart
Warlike for Peace…
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From Song of Empire
And shall, if Heaven so will, still more increase
With thy remaining years, till blessed Peace,
Half frighted from us now by grave alarms
Of half a world in arms,
Shall brood, a white-winged Angel, o’er the Earth.
Then may the rule of Wrong be done!
Then may a new and Glorious Sun
Gild the illumined World! and then
Come Righteousness to men!
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From The Imperial Institute
No more we seek our Realm’s increase
By War’s red rapine, but by white-winged Peace…
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