I Have a Rendezvous With Death – Alan Seeger

~ Meg

Alan Seeger was born in New York City on June 22, 1888. After joining the French Foreign Legion in 1914, Seeger was killed in action in northern France on July 4, 1916. 


I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath—
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.

God knows ‘twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear…
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.

Published by Meg

Easily amused, never bored and constantly distracted. My creative pursuits include writing, drawing, painting and photography.

28 thoughts on “I Have a Rendezvous With Death – Alan Seeger”

      7. These two, and throw North Korea’s loon in the mix too, are gonna let their egos and self-supposed superiority, cause a shit storm. Who’ll pay? Sure wont be these asshats. 😠

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  5. When I teach WWI, I spend a whole class day with “Rendezvous with Death”, “Flander’s Fields”, and “Dulce Et Decorum Est”. My students generally have a glorified view of war which the Greeks, Romans, Crusades, and Napoleonic Wars do nothing to ameliorate. The day always leaves a majority gutted. Hard, but needed.

    Personally, I think we’d all live much better lives if we started each day reflecting on this poem.

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      2. Very much so. He quoted it every now and then. I’ve always thought people had somewhat of sixth sense regarding their destiny.

        Liked by 1 person

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