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Poetry · Chapter
Might and Right explained
A brief poem reflecting on the relationship between might and right, suggesting that right must acquire might to prevail, written on July 1, 1915.
What happens
A brief poem reflecting on the relationship between might and right, suggesting that right must acquire might to prevail, written on July 1, 1915.
Themes in this chapter
Duty and Patriotism
The poem calls for a 'long campaign' to ensure right conquers, implying a duty to uphold justice.
Key passages
“If Might made Right, life were a wild-beasts’ cage; If Right made Might, this were the golden age; But now, until we win the long campaign, Right must gain Might to conquer and to reign.”
If power alone determined justice, life would be chaotic and brutish; if justice alone held power, the world would be perfect. In reality, justice must acquire power to triumph and rule.
The poem contrasts two hypothetical worlds with the current struggle, emphasizing the need for righteous force.