The Partisan
The Partisan - context Summary
Composed During World War II
Written and first published amid World War II (1943), the poem presents a narrator who joins a resistance after an invasion. It recounts loss, disguise, shelter by civilians, capture and death, and dwindling comrades, yet retains hope for freedom. The poem shifts into French for some stanzas, broadening its European wartime voice and underscoring solidarity across languages while keeping a steady focus on endurance and clandestine struggle.
Read Complete AnalysesWhen they poured across the border I was cautioned to surrender This I could not do; I took my gun and vanished I have changed my name so often I've lost my wife and children But I have many friends And some of them are with me An old woman gave us shelter Kept us hidden in the garret Then the soldiers came; She died without a whisper There were three of us this morning I'm the only one this evening But I must go on; The frontiers are my prison Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing Through the graves the wind is blowing Freedom soon will come; Then we'll come from the shadows Les Allemands étaient chez moi Ils me dirent, "Signe-toi," Mais je n'ai pas peur; J'ai repris mon arme  J'ai changé cent fois de nom J'ai perdu femme et enfants Mais j'ai tant d'amis; J'ai la France entière Un vieil homme dans un grenier Pour la nuit nous a caché Les Allemands l'ont pris; Il est mort sans surprise Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing Through the graves the wind is blowing Freedom soon will come; Then we'll come from the shadows
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