Siegfried Sassoon fought as a British Officer in WWI in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He received the Military Cross for pulling a fellow soldier to safety and was wounded himself. After being wounded, he became a pacifist and actively campaigned against the war. His most famous quote is “I believe that the War is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.” The quote is taken from a letter that was read before the House of Commons. Sassoon believed he would be court-martialed. A friend interceded on his behalf, attributed his writings to shell shock, and so Sassoon was hospitalized.

Absolution

The anguish of the earth absolves our eyes 

Till beauty shines in all that we can see. 

War is our scourge; yet war has made us wise, 

And, fighting for our freedom, we are free.

Horror of wounds and anger at the foe, 

And loss of things desired; all these must pass. 

We are the happy legion, for we know 

Time’s but a golden wind that shakes the grass.

There was an hour when we were loth to part 

From life we longed to share no less than others. 

Now, having claimed this heritage of heart, 

What need we more, my comrades and my brothers?