That Pretty Girl in the Army
That Pretty Girl in the Army - meaning Summary
Humorous Plea for Salvation
A tipsy narrator sits in Watty’s pub near closing time, picturing the Salvation Army praying for the souls of drinkers. He half-jokes that it would take much prayer and drumming to redeem their ‘‘sinful, straying’’ lives, yet he expresses affection and solidarity with his fellow sinners. The poem mixes irony and tenderness, contrasting religious zeal with pub camaraderie and hoping charity extends even to people like Watty and himself.
Read Complete AnalysesNow I often sit at Watty’s, when the night is very near With a head that’s full of jingles – and the fumes of bottled beer; For I always have a fancy that, if I am over there When the Army prays for Watty, I’m included in the prayer. It would take a lot of praying, lots of thumping on the drum, To prepare our sinful, straying, erring souls for Kingdom Come, But I love my fellow-sinners! And I hope upon the whole, That the Army gets a hearing when it prays for Watty’s soul.
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