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The Judgement of Valhalla

by Gilbert Frankau (1884–1952)

  • Free to read
  • 35 min read
  • 7 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Judgement of Valhalla" by Gilbert Frankau is a collection of war poetry written in the early 20th century, during the time of World War I. The book explores the themes of honor, disgrace, and the moral complexities surrounding life and death in battle. Through vivid imagery and emotional intensity, Frankau delves into the psyche of soldiers, addressing both the glory of combat and the shame of cowardice. The collection presents a series of poems that hauntingly depict the brutal realities of war and the judgments that follow in the afterlife. Characters such as a deserter confront their fate in Valhalla, the hall of the slain, only to discover that cowardice is punished. Through verses like "The Song of the Red-Edged Steel" and "The Eye and the Truth," Frankau emphasizes the brutal choices faced by soldiers—between courage and shame, life and death—highlighting the struggle against the chaos of warfare. This poignant exploration leaves readers with a stark understanding of the psychological toll of battle and the elusive nature of valor.

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  • World War, 1914-1918

Read the opening

Chapter I

_Wherein the bard—released from War’s confusions—
Preludes with egotistical allusions._

Six years ago—or is it six-and-twenty?
(How vast the gulf from those ecstatic days!)—
When the whole earth snored on in slothful plenty
(Tho’ poets cashed small pittance for their lays);
When war appeared less real than G. A. Henty,
And Oxo’s snaky signs were yet ablaze;
When all seemed peaceful as the press of Cadbury,
And no one dreamed of bombs, or bet a Bradbury;

Or e’er stern Mars had roped us in his tether,
Ere British guns had thundered at Le Câteau:
We fitted out—my Muse and I together—
And launched adown the galley-slips of Chatto
A barque of verse, full-rigged for halcyon weather,
Which many a critic judged to take the gâteau:
(Though some there were, high pundits of disparity,
Who wept at our unscholarly vulgarity).

We have sailed far since then; crossed our horizon;
Published our loves and travels in a novel
(A tale, men say, that Peckham’s flapper cries on,
So that both Boots and Smith’s before us grovel);
And eaten ration bully-beef—with flies on;
And sheltered gratefully in many a hovel,
What time we sang of guns and gore and trenches—
Instead of oysters, tango-teas and wenches.

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Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter III
  5. Chapter IV
  6. Chapter V
  7. Chapter VI

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About this edition

This free edition of The Judgement of Valhalla by Gilbert Frankau comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #53756, released 2016-12-17. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, History - Warfare.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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