War Rhymes by Wayfarer

In Short

Abner Cosens’s War Rhymes collects vernacular poetry responding to the First World War from a Canadian perspective. Written under the pseudonym "Wayfarer," the collection tracks the conflict from the 1914 invasion of Belgium through the entry of the United States and the final defeat of Germany. Through satirical takes on international diplomacy, home-front moralizing, and a recurring sequence of letters written by a captured German soldier, the book captures the mixture of patriotic fervor, economic distress, and profound loss that defined the era for ordinary citizens.

The Story

The collection opens with a satirical view of European diplomacy in August 1914, depicting nations rushing into conflict with blustering pride. Austria threatens Serbia, Russia defends its ally, the Kaiser welcomes the fight, France eyes Alsace-Lorraine, Belgium prepares a fierce defense, and John Bull steps in to stop the German advance. Satan looks upon the unfolding devastation with satisfaction, viewing the Kaiser as his most successful agent.

As the war settles into a grim reality, the focus shifts to Canada. The winter of 1914 brings unemployment and economic distress, leading to pointed critiques of local indifference and the social hypocrisy that leaves laborers struggling while profits flow. Poems directed at the home front urge citizens to sacrifice, buy war bonds, and abandon political divisions. A parallel thread develops through the voice of Hans, and later Fritz, a German soldier whose early confidence in a quick victory gives way to doubt, suffering, and disillusionment as the Allies press forward.

Fritz writes regular letters to his wife, Katrina, describing the harsh conditions of hospital tents, the rejection of his favorite sausages by English nurses, and his growing realization that the Kaiser has misled the German people. Alongside these letters, various speakers address the reluctance of certain groups to enlist, including French Canadians urged to join the fight and Americans criticized for staying neutral while Europe bleeds. Figures like Nurse Cavell are elevated as martyrs of quiet, steadfast courage amid brutality.

As the years progress, the poetry reflects the mounting casualty lists, food shortages, and the moral debt incurred by the world. The arrival of American troops—referred to as Sammy—brings renewed hope to the Allies. The collection moves toward the 1918 armistice, capturing the bewildered reflections of defeated soldiers and the exhaustion of families on all sides. The concluding poems weigh the enduring human tendency toward conflict, war profiteering, and the fragile hope that humanity might learn from its catastrophic overdraft on violence.

How It Unfolds

• The diplomatic spark — The collection begins with light verse mocking the mutual threats and posturing of European monarchs and nations as they stumble into the July Crisis.
• Satan's appraisal — Lucifer surveys the destruction of cities, lost commerce, and millions of lives, celebrating the Kaiser as the chief architect of earthly hell.
• Canadian contradictions — The poems examine the early economic hardships at home, contrasting patriotic flag-waving with the neglect of working-class citizens and the pressure placed on young men to enlist.
• Fritz begins to doubt — A sequence of vernacular monologues introduces a German soldier whose initial faith in superior culture and quick conquest slowly erodes under the weight of naval blockades and allied resistance.
• Appeals to the reluctant — Direct addresses target slackers, neutral Americans, and French Canadians, urging them to put aside local comfort and political divisions to support the war effort.
• Hospital reflections — Wounded and recovering in allied care, Fritz writes home to describe his changing views on the war, German military leadership, and the formidable nature of British and Canadian troops.
• The final reckoning — The poems turn toward the collapse of the German front, the arrival of American forces, and the sober realization of the immense human and moral cost required to achieve peace.

The People

• Wayfarer — The observant, critical persona of the author who acts as a moral chronicler, recording the hypocrisies of politicians, the grief of mothers, and the steadfastness of common soldiers.
• Fritz — A plain-spoken German soldier and letter-writer whose initial arrogance transforms into confusion, exhaustion, and disillusionment as he confronts the reality of defeat and allied strength.
• Katrina — Fritz’s wife back in Germany, who manages the household amidst dwindling food supplies, communicates the hardships of the home front, and worries over the loss of family.
• Jack Canuck — The embodiment of the average Canadian citizen, initially prone to comfort and economic self-interest before being called upon to drop ordinary pursuits and face the realities of modern warfare.
• Satan — A gleeful observer of human folly who tallies the destruction of cities, industrial output, and human life as proof of mankind's persistent self-destruction.

In Its Own Voice

Said Austria,--"You murderous Serb, / You the peace of all Europe disturb; / Get down on your knees, / And apologize, please, / Or I'll kick you right off my front curb."

This opening stanza sets a satirical tone by reducing the complex geopolitical origins of the First World War to a schoolyard confrontation.

My most successful agent," / Said he, "is Kaiser Bill; / Just watch his daily pageant / Of souls come down the hill.

Satan welcomes the casualties of the conflict, framing the German emperor as the primary catalyst for humanity's self-inflicted slaughter.

Dat's von very hard case; / Can tree jacks beat four kings und some ace? / Ven ve hafn't de card / We must bluff britty hard, / Or shoost trow down our hand in disgrace.

Fritz uses a poker metaphor to explain the military predicament of the German army to the Kaiser as allied pressure mounts.

What It's Really About

The collection investigates the moral hypocrisies that accompany global conflict, contrasting the lofty rhetoric of patriotism with the grim realities of economic profiteering and mass slaughter. It argues that war exposes the worst of human nature—greed, self-deception, and tribalism—while testing the resilience of ordinary people. Underneath the satirical plot lies a deep skepticism of political leaders and monarchs who gamble with human lives, alongside a plea for genuine accountability, spiritual renewal, and social fairness once the fighting stops.

Why Read It Today

Reading these verses offers a direct window into the vernacular mood of the First World War home front, far removed from polished official histories. Readers will appreciate the sharp, unsparing wit of the dialect poems and the emotional resonance of families caught in the machinery of total war. The experience of reading the collection is uneven, alternating between lighthearted nursery rhymes and heavy moral lamentations. Modern readers may find the archaic dialect spellings and period political attitudes demanding to navigate, yet the poems retain a striking honesty about the psychological weight of prolonged conflict. What stays with you is the distinct, weary voice of ordinary soldiers and citizens trying to make sense of a world tearing itself apart.