"I Have a Rendezvous With Death" by Alan Seeger

"Gear of War" sounds different because it's digitally enhanced with added echo to make it sound scary and threatening - which isn't what the poet intended.

Alan Seeger loved life, but he quietly accepted that his duty could result in his death. He was resigned to that rendezvous.

So, Video Gamers, this probably won't suit you. For poetry lovers, this is by a young poet of WW1 whose words were only too prophetic. He was a young American who joined the French Foreign Legion. He was killed in a charge, cheering his comrades on while riddled with bullets.

I feel that this poem should be read at a normal speaking pace.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Rendezvous
• Death
• Alan
• Seeger
• poem
• poetry
• reading

[norgulon]

Gears of war might have brought me here, but Seeger's poetry kept me here.

[BadOrc87]

As a rampant, if not willingly admitted addict, of video games I feel it unfortunately necessary to remind you not all of us are cut from the same cloth. I heard about this poem through the Gears of War trailer, I found it beautiful in its wording, and I did some research. Now that I know the proper history behind it, I am left even more affected than before.

So while I enjoy the horrendous violence a video game can bring, I can't help but fall dearly in love with poetic genius. Nice work, btw

[PeanutGaming96]

"We all die, but very few really live." - William Wallace

[ernstbecker1]

Alan Seeger joined The French Foreign Legion during WW I. He, as other Ameicans, thought that they would fight for "the rights of man"; therefore, he attempted to enlist in the French Army. He had not luck. The French Foreign Legion accepted him. He height of over 6 feet was a tempting target. He was KIA during a frontal assault on a German position.

[mcolln]

I am a gamer, but I still enjoy poetry.

[Sepproth]

@norgulon This is a good comment, one of the few intellegent ones on Youtube. I respect that a lot.

[adsoiderful]

This poem... Is really good. The last two lines makes me feel invincible. Nice poem. Cheers

[jurassicparkboy]

im a gamer and this poem is incredibly beautiful... but kinda sad since he is accepting death even though he loves life.... and i am thinking about saying this in the talent show whenever it comes around :)

[tallbenito]

I first hear this poem from the Gears of war trailer, but I definitely enjoy they full version more. For my humanities class we're supposed to pick a piece of art to research for a paper, and I'd love to use this, but I'm just not sure there's enough information out there about this one :(

[TheQwaz]

I favorited this vid because like many others i found it because of Gears 2. Figured their was a lot more to it than was in the trailer. Sounds like though he didn't want to die he certainly had resigned himself to his fate. Such was the reality of combat in WWI. RIP Alan Seeger.

[DrMadHobo]

This man... did not deserve that death...

[Halfway3]

@KINGKENNYTHEHOLY *military salute*