The Folly of War, Poem by Victor Hugo

Poem by Victor Hugo Collection The Terrible YearThemes WarPeriod 19th century

Eyeless worker, imbecile Penelope,
Cradle-song of chaos where nothingness sways,
War, O war, busy with the clash of squadrons,
Utterly full of the furious sound of bugles,
O drinker of blood, who, fierce, withered,
Hideous, drags man into this drunkenness,
Cloud in which destiny is deformed, in which God flees,
In which floats a brightness blacker than night,
Immense madwoman, armed with wind and thunderbolts,
What use are you, giantess, what use are you, smoke,
If your collapses rebuild evil,
If for the beastly you drive out the animal,
If you know not, in the shadow where your chance wallows,
How to undo an emperor except to make another?

Victor Hugo

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