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Question:

Does anyone know in what context was the poem "Elegy" by Siegfried Sassoon written?

Hey, does anyone know what context was "Elegy" by Siegfried Sassoon written? I can't find any mention of it on the net, nor the question on who exactly the poem was written for. Is it a war poem?

Here's the poem:

Elegy
By Siegfried Sassoon

Your dextrous wit will haunt us long
Wounding our grief with yesterday.
Your laughter is a broken song;
And death has found you, kind and gay.

We may forget those transient things
That made your charm and our delight:
But loyal love has deathless wings
That rise and triumph out of night.

So, in the days to come, your name
Shall be as music that ascends
When honour turns a heart from shame??
O heart of hearts! ?? O friend of friends!


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

This is a very interesting question.

I believe I figured it all out. Took a while.

In the 1920 book -Picture-show
by Siegfried Sassoon - 1920 it is titled:

ELEGY

(To Robert Ross)

Counter-attack: And Other Poems
by Siegfried Sassoon - 1918

In this book we find that the book is dedicated "TO ROBERT ROSS"

http://www.sassoonery.demon.co.uk/...

The above site is the best: see sources for more.
You should email the author of this page.

WWI Poetry has always been a passion, even collected all the WWI aviator poetry books, took years.

Could this be who? I believe so.

Robert Ross (1869 - 1918) was a Canadian authority on art, and literary executor of Oscar Wilde, and a literary journalist. He was a patron of the arts and had many distinguished and promising artists and writers visit him during his life in London. He produced a comprehensive edition of Wilde's works (1908). Sassoon was a frequent visitor to his London home, and Ross was one of only two people (the other being Dr Rivers) allowed to see Sassoon whilst he was recovering from the head wound which invalided him out of the war. He died unexpectedly of heart failure on the eve of leaving for Australia.