Jessie Pope
(The Blue Cross League, 58 Victoria Street, London, S.W., is in need of funds.)
SHE was a pretty, nicely mannered mare,
The children’s pet, the master’s pride and care,
Until a man in khaki came one day,
Looked at her teeth, and hurried her away.
With other horses packed into a train
She hungered for her master’s voice in vain;
And later, led ‘twixt planks that scare and slip,
They slung her, terrified, on board a ship.
Next came, where thumps and throbbing filled the air,
Her first experience of mal de mare;
And when that oscillating trip was done
They hitched her up in traces to a gun.
She worked and pulled and sweated with the best;
A stranger now her glossy coat caressed
Till flashing thunderstorms came bursting round
And spitting leaden hail bestrewed the ground.
With quivering limbs, and silky ears laid back,
She feels a shock succeed a sharper crack,
And, whinnying her pitiful surprise,
Staggers and falls, and tries in vain to rise.
Alone, forsaken, on a foreign field
What moral does this little record yield ?
Who tends the wounded horses in the war ?
Well that is what the Blue Cross League is for.
© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes
Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem tells the poignant story of a horse—once a cherished companion to her master—who is tragically thrust into the horrors of war. Through her eyes, we witness the emotional and physical trauma faced by animals during wartime, and in doing so, the poem makes a powerful statement about the often-overlooked suffering of animals in conflict.
The opening stanzas immediately establish the horse as a beloved pet, “the children’s pet, the master’s pride and care,” creating a warm image of domestic tranquility. The shift from peace to war is sudden, as the horse is unceremoniously taken from her home by “a man in khaki,” a symbol of the military. The poem’s tone quickly shifts from affection to cold detachment, emphasizing the horse’s helplessness as she is carted away, first to a train and then to a ship, her initial fears and confusion foreshadowing the trials to come.
The second part of the poem details the horse’s brutal introduction to the horrors of war. Stripped of her old life, she is now conscripted into service, “hitched up in traces to a gun,” which brings a sharp contrast to the earlier picture of her in a comfortable home. The line “She worked and pulled and sweated with the best” serves as a stark reminder of how animals were expected to serve in the war effort—just as human soldiers did, enduring fatigue and hardship without respite. The horse’s glossy coat is still admired, but now by strangers, showing how she has been reduced from a beloved pet to just another tool of war.
The climax of the poem comes when the horse, terrified by the violence of the battlefield, is struck down. The graphic description of the “flashing thunderstorms” and “spitting leaden hail” paints a vivid picture of war’s chaos and destruction. The horse’s “whinnying…pitiful surprise” as she is hit is heart-wrenching, and the repeated efforts to rise—”staggers and falls, and tries in vain to rise”—show both her physical and emotional breakdown. This is not just a story of an animal wounded in battle; it is an exploration of how the brutal reality of war shatters innocence, forcing both humans and animals into unimaginable suffering.
The closing lines of the poem shift the focus from the tragedy of the horse to the moral lesson. The question, “Who tends the wounded horses in the war?” is answered with a reference to the Blue Cross League, an organization dedicated to caring for animals in wartime. The mention of this real-world charity adds an element of hope to the otherwise bleak narrative, suggesting that there is still compassion and responsibility for the creatures who serve in conflict, even as they suffer the consequences of human choices. By mentioning the Blue Cross League, the poem calls attention to the need for more support and awareness for animals in war, suggesting that their plight should not be ignored.
The poem is successful in its emotional appeal, conveying the harsh realities faced by animals in wartime through the story of one horse’s tragic journey. It’s not just a condemnation of war, but also a call to recognize the dignity and suffering of animals who, like humans, are caught up in conflicts beyond their control. Through its simple yet powerful narrative, the poem encourages empathy for the animals who are often forgotten amidst the larger tragedy of war.