The poem
Let me take this other glove off As the vox humana swells, And the beauteous fields of Eden Bask beneath the Abbey bells. Here, where England's statesmen lie, Listen to a lady's cry.
Gracious Lord, oh bomb the Germans, Spare their women for Thy Sake, And if that is not too easy We will pardon Thy Mistake. But, gracious Lord, whate'er shall be, Don't let anyone bomb me.
Keep our Empire undismembered Guide our Forces by Thy Hand, Gallant blacks from far Jamaica, Honduras and Togoland; Protect them Lord in all their fights, And, even more, protect the whites.
Think of what our Nation stands for, Books from Boots' and country lanes, Free speech, free passes, class distinction, Democracy and proper drains. Lord, put beneath Thy special care One-eighty-nine Cadogan Square.
Although dear Lord I am a sinner, I have done no major crime; Now I'll come to Evening Service Whensoever I have the time. So, Lord, reserve for me a crown, And do not let my shares go down.
I will labour for Thy Kingdom, Help our lads to win the war, Send white feathers to the cowards Join the Women's Army Corps, Then wash the steps around Thy Throne In the Eternal Safety Zone.
Now I feel a little better, What a treat to hear Thy Word, Where the bones of leading statesmen Have so often been interr'd. And now, dear Lord, I cannot wait Because I have a luncheon date.
Reprinted with the permission of John Murray (Publishers) Ltd.
I would be more than happy if someone could tell me if Eternal Saftey Zone is a quotation of some kind.
loved it! was totally hot
This is a very interesting poem with many areas of interest.
i need, however, to find the different ironies in this poem not sure of them all. could you help me?
No, I don't think Eternal Safety Zone is a quotation. I think it just means that the woman prays to God for success in the war while she's in safety. That shows that she's hypocritical, like the rest of the poem does.
the eternal safety zone is refering to heaven, it shows her crude view of religion and that she has no real spiritual or real religious worship, its all about striking deals with God, who she deems is below her, and who she has the authority to 'pardon'
This would have been a lady from an upper class background, who had maids to do everything for her since childhood. She was offering to lower herself to cleaning the Abbey in exchange for protection from the bombs during the Blitz. The Eternal Safety Zone is the belief that holy ground would be protected from danger.