| Louis Untermeyer, ed. (18851977). Modern British Poetry. 1920. |
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| W. M. Letts. 1887 |
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| 151. The Spires of Oxford |
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| I SAW the spires of Oxford | |
| As I was passing by, | |
| The grey spires of Oxford | |
| Against the pearl-grey sky. | |
| My heart was with the Oxford men | 5 |
| Who went abroad to die. | |
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| The years go fast in Oxford, | |
| The golden years and gay, | |
| The hoary Colleges look down | |
| On careless boys at play. | 10 |
| But when the bugles sounded war | |
| They put their games away. | |
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| The left the peaceful river, | |
| The cricket-field, the quad, | |
| The shaven lawns of Oxford, | 15 |
| To seek a bloody sod | |
| They gave their merry youth away | |
| For country and for God. | |
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| God rest you, happy gentlemen, | |
| Who laid your good lives down, | 20 |
| Who took the khaki and the gun | |
| Instead of cap and gown. | |
| God bring you to a fairer place | |
| Than even Oxford town. | |
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