Red Flower: Poems Written in War Time

Red Flower: Poems Written in War Time by Henry van Dyke is a powerful collection of wartime poetry that pairs moral clarity with lyrical tenderness, capturing the conflicted heart of World War I-era America. Composed amid diplomatic duties and public debate, these poems move between urgent patriotic calls and quiet meditations—addresses written under the pseudonym Civis Americanus, pieces delivered at public forums, and later verses penned after van Dyke resigned his post and spoke more freely. Interludes in Holland and other reflective pieces imagine the peaceful, enduring things that must remain after a conflict: nature, faith, and human dignity. Blending elegy, exhortation, and hopeful prophecy, the collection explores duty, sacrifice, grief, and the longing for a world beyond war. The language is accessible yet rich, offering both immediate emotional resonance and historical insight into American intellectual life during the 1910s. As poetry, it balances form and feeling, suited to attentive listening. Ideal for fans of historical poetry, World War I literature, and thought-provoking lyricism, this audiobook invites listeners who seek reflective verse that wrestles with conscience, courage, and the possibility of peace.