Alan Seeger Poetry

Alan Seeger was born in 1888 and died in the French Foreign Legion during WWI. His best-known poem, one that often included in war-time anthologies, is ‘I Have a Rendezvous With Death’ in which the speaker contemplates his coming death with clear-headed acceptance. In 1917, his collection Poems, was published posthumously. It was critiqued for its Romantic and limited viewpoint. Despite this, his work and life have been honored by the French, as well as others who admire his perspective.

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I Have a Rendezvous with Death

Seeger’s ‘I Have a Rendezvous with Death’ reflects on war’s inevitability, contrasting life’s beauty with the grim prospect of death.

Alan Seeger was an American poet and soldier who fought in the French Foreign Legion during World War One. His poem ‘I Have a Rendezvous with Death’ is his most well-known work because of its strong emotions and sense of duty. While he wrote other poems, this one stands out the most, as it feels deeply personal and connects to his real-life experience of going to war.

At midnight in some flaming town,

When Spring trips north again this year,

And I to my pledged word am true,

I shall not fail that rendezvous.

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