The Judgement of Valhalla

"The Judgement of Valhalla" by Gilbert Frankau is a collection of war poetry written in the early 20th century, during the time of World War I. The book explores the themes of honor, disgrace, and the moral complexities surrounding life and death in battle. Through vivid imagery and emotional intensity, Frankau delves into the psyche of soldiers, addressing both the glory of combat and the shame of cowardice. The collection presents a series of poems that hauntingly depict the brutal realities of war and the judgments that follow in the afterlife. Characters such as a deserter confront their fate in Valhalla, the hall of the slain, only to discover that cowardice is punished. Through verses like "The Song of the Red-Edged Steel" and "The Eye and the Truth," Frankau emphasizes the brutal choices faced by soldiers—between courage and shame, life and death—highlighting the struggle against the chaos of warfare. This poignant exploration leaves readers with a stark understanding of the psychological toll of battle and the elusive nature of valor. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Captain Gilbert Frankau was a popular British novelist. He was known also for verse, including a number of verse novels, and short stories. He was born in London into a Jewish family but was baptised as an Anglican at the age of 13. After education at Eton College, he went into the family cigar business and became managing director on his twenty-first birthday, his father, Arthur Frankau, having died in November 1904. A few months before his death, at sixty-eight, from lung cancer, he converted to Roman Catholicism.