Blind eye Quote by Charles Hamilton Sorley
““When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead" When you see millions of the mouthless dead Across your dreams in pale battalions go, Say not soft things as other men have said, That you'll remember. For you need not so. Give them not praise. For, deaf, how should they know It is not curses heaped on each gashed head? Nor tears. Their blind eyes see not your tears flow. Nor honour. It is easy to be dead. Say only this, "They are dead." Then add thereto, "Yet many a better one has died before." Then, scanning all the o'ercrowded mass, should you Perceive one face that you loved heretofore, It is a spook. None wears the face you knew. Great death has made all his for evermore.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: The Dead, WWI Poetry, 1915
Reflects on the futility of glorifying dead soldiers, urging honest acknowledgment of loss and the emptiness of praise.
In simple terms: Dead soldiers are dead; no honor needed.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge loss plainly.
Themes
death
war
memory
disillusionment
honor
Mood
somber
reflective
grim
Type
poetic
lament
war commentary
When to use this quote
- military memorials
- historical reflection
- personal loss
Key Concepts
war trauma
collective grief
human cost
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true remembrance look like?
- How can we avoid romanticizing war?
A Different Perspective
Ignoring the deeper societal causes of war limits the message.
