Learning Quote by Rudyard Kipling
““They believed us and perished for it. Our statecraft, our learning Delivered them bound to the Pit and alive to the burning Whither they mirthfully hastened as jostling for honour - Not since her birth has our Earth seen such worth loosed upon her. Nor was their agony brief, or once only imposed on them. The wounded, the war-spent, the sick received no exemption: Being cured they returned and endured and achieved our redemption, Hopeless themselves of relief, till Death, marvelling, closed on them. That flesh we had nursed from the first in all cleanness was given To corruption unveiled and assailed by the malice of Heaven - By the heart-shaking jests of Decay where it lolled on the wires - To be blanched or gay-painted by fumes - to be cindered by fires - To be senselessly tossed and retossed in stale mutilation From crater to crater. For this we shall take expiation. But who shall return us the children?””
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Song of the Dead" (attributed)
Depicts the suffering and sacrifice of a people, questioning who will inherit their legacy.
In simple terms: People suffer and die, leaving unanswered questions.
Key Takeaway
Remember past sacrifices, honor the fallen.
Themes
sacrifice
war
legacy
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
poetic
historical
When to use this quote
- war memorials
- educational curricula
- peace advocacy
Key Concepts
mortality
redemption
historical trauma
Questions to Reflect On
- What lessons can we learn from past tragedies?
- How do we honor those who suffered?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize suffering without offering solutions.
