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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
British writers on peace and war
Women writers on peace and war
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Ann Batten Cristall
From An Ode
What dire disorder ravages the world!
Beasts, birds, fish, insects, war with cruel strife!
Created matter in contention whirl’d
Spreads desolation as it bursts to life!
And men, who mental light from heaven enjoy,
Pierce the fraternal breast, and impiously destroy.
Unknown, and nothing in the scale of things,
Yet would I wisdom’s ways aloud rehearse,
Touch’d by humanity, strike loud the strings,
And pour a strain of more inspired verse;
But reason, truth, and harmony are vain,
No power man’s boundless passions can restrain.
Stupendous Nature! rugged, beauteous, wild!
Impress’d with awe, thy wondrous book I read:
Beyond this stormy tract, some realm more mild,
My spirit tells me, is for man decreed;
Where, unallay’d, bliss reigns without excess:
Thus hope excentric points to happiness!
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