Re reading the Ballard of Reading Gaol I was surprised to see these lines, which I had forgotten (more fool I!) were there:
Yet each man kills the thing he loves,
By each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!
The Ballad of Reading Gaol was written by Oscar Wilde after his release from Reading prison on 19 May 1897. During his imprisonment a hanging took place.
2 comments:
"All great things bring about their own destruction through an act of self-overcoming".
Strange the way anticipation works. I'd used to think I was a coward until reading this. Wish I'd've known about O.Wilde instead of re-reading Nietzsche a fourth time.
WWI was @#$%ed up.
Post a Comment