The Piper

"The poem was a short, poignant little thing. In a month it had carried Walter's name to every corner of the globe. Everywhere it was copied&mdash;in metropolitan dailies and little village weeklies&mdash;in profound reviews and 'agony columns', in Red Cross appeals and Government recruiting propaganda. Mothers and sisters wept over it, young lads thrilled to it, the whole great heart of humanity caught it up as an epitome of all the pain and hope and pity and purpose of the mighty conflict, crystallized in three brief immortal verses. A Canadian lad in the Flanders trenches had written the one great poem of the war. 'The Piper', by Pte. Walter Blythe, was a classic from its first printing."

- Description of "The Piper"

"The Piper" is a poem written by Walter Blythe during the First World War.

Text
One day the Piper came down the Glen ...     Sweet and long and low played he! The children followed from door to door, No matter how those who loved might implore, So willing the sound of his melody As the song of a woodland rill. Some day the Piper will come again To pipe to the sons of the maple tree! You and I will follow from door to door, Many of us will come back no more ... What matter that if Freedom still Be the crown of each native hill?

Appearances

 * Rilla of Ingleside (mentioned only)
 * The Blythes Are Quoted (first appearance)