Shot? so quick, so clean an ending? 
Oh that was right, lad, that was brave: 
Yours was not an ill for mending, 
'Twas best to take it to the grave. 

Oh you had forethought, you could reason, 
And saw your road and where it led, 
And early wise and brave in season 
Put the pistol to your head. 

Oh soon, and better so than later 
After long disgrace and scorn, 
You shot dead the household traitor, 
The soul that should not have been born. 

Right you guessed the rising morrow 
And scorned to tread the mire you must: 
Dust's your wages, son of sorrow, 
But men may come to worse than dust. 

Souls undone, undoing others,-- 
Long time since the tale began. 
You would not live to wrong your brothers: 
Oh lad, you died as fits a man. 

Now to your grave shall friend and stranger 
With ruth and some with envy come: 
Undishonoured, clear of danger, 
Clean of guilt, pass hence and home. 

Turn safe to rest, no dreams, no waking; 
And here, man, here's the wreath I've made: 
'Tis not a gift that's worth the taking, 
But wear it and it will not fade. 

Added: Apr 5 2005 | Viewed: 634 times | Comments (0)

Poet: A.E. Housman
Poem: Shot? So Quick, So Clean an Ending?

There are no comments for this poem. Why not be the first one to post something about it?

Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Shot? So Quick, So Clean an Ending?, has not yet been commented on. You can click here to be the first to post a comment about it. Of course you can also always discuss poems by A.E. Housman with others on the Poetry Connection poetry forum!