Alan Seeger was an American poet who wrote "I Have a Rendezvous with Death" while serving as a soldier in the French military during World War I. Published posthumously in 1917, the poem features a soldier who is certain that death is near. Though the speaker implies that it would be preferable to try to avoid this fate, the poem makes it clear that this is simply not an option because of the speaker's soldierly sense of duty. The piece serves as a document of a young soldier's attempt to accept mortality. Seeger himself died in the Battle of the Somme shortly after composing this poem.
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The Full Text of “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”
1I have a rendezvous with Death
2At some disputed barricade,
3When Spring comes back with rustling shade
4And apple-blossoms fill the air—
5I have a rendezvous with Death
6When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
7It may be he shall take my hand
8And lead me into his dark land
9And close my eyes and quench my breath—
10It may be I shall pass him still.
11I have a rendezvous with Death
12On some scarred slope of battered hill,
13When Spring comes round again this year
14And the first meadow-flowers appear.
15God knows 'twere better to be deep
16Pillowed in silk and scented down,
17Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,
18Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
19Where hushed awakenings are dear ...
20But I've a rendezvous with Death
21At midnight in some flaming town,
22When Spring trips north again this year,
23And I to my pledged word am true,
24I shall not fail that rendezvous.
The Full Text of “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”
1I have a rendezvous with Death
2At some disputed barricade,
3When Spring comes back with rustling shade
4And apple-blossoms fill the air—
5I have a rendezvous with Death
6When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
7It may be he shall take my hand
8And lead me into his dark land
9And close my eyes and quench my breath—
10It may be I shall pass him still.
11I have a rendezvous with Death
12On some scarred slope of battered hill,
13When Spring comes round again this year
14And the first meadow-flowers appear.
15God knows 'twere better to be deep
16Pillowed in silk and scented down,
17Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,
18Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
19Where hushed awakenings are dear ...
20But I've a rendezvous with Death
21At midnight in some flaming town,
22When Spring trips north again this year,
23And I to my pledged word am true,
24I shall not fail that rendezvous.
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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Summary
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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Themes
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Death and Acceptance
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Duty and Honor
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”
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Lines 1-4
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air— -
Lines 5-6
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair. -
Lines 7-10
It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath—
It may be I shall pass him still. -
Lines 11-14
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear. -
Lines 15-19
God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear ... -
Lines 20-24
But I've a rendezvous with Death
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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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Symbols
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Spring
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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
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Allusion
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Consonance
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Sibilance
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End-Stopped Line
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Metaphor
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Juxtaposition
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Repetition
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Personification
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Assonance
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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Rendezvous
- Disputed
- Barricade
- Rustling
- Fair
- Quench
- 'Twere
- Pillowed
- Down
- Pulse
- Nigh
- Dear
- Trips
- Pledged
- True
- Fail
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Speaker
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“I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”
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More “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” Resources
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External Resources
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World War I — A helpful breakdown of the major causes, players, and outcomes of WWI.
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Family History — In this radio clip, Pete Seeger discusses his family history and talks about his uncle Alan Seeger's life before and during the war.
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Pete Seeger Reads The Poem — Check out this recording of Alan Seeger's nephew, the folk musician Pete Seeger, reading the poem.
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More About the Author — Learn more about Alan Seeger in this brief overview of his life and work.
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The Battle of the Somme — If you're interested in finding out more about the battle that claimed Alan Seeger's life, take a look at this collection of information and pictures explaining what happened at the infamous Battle of the Somme.
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