TCDE-Team at 22:38, 4 April 2026

2026-04-04T22:38:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:38, 5 April 2026
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	''The Night Patrol'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]] on 16 december 1919.		''The Night Patrol'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]] on 16 december 1919.


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	== The Night Patrol ==		== The Night Patrol ==

			<poem>
	'''September 1918'''		'''September 1918'''

			Behind me on the darkened pier
	Behind me on the darkened pier~~<br />~~		They crowd and chatter, man and maid,
	They crowd and chatter, man and maid,~~<br />~~		A coon-song gently strikes the ear,
	A coon-song gently strikes the ear,~~<br />~~		A flapper giggles in the shade.
	A flapper giggles in the shade.~~<br />~~		There where the in-turned lantern gleams
	There where the in-turned lantern gleams~~<br />~~		It shines on khaki and on brass;
	It shines on khaki and on brass;~~<br />~~		Across its yellow slanting beams
	Across its yellow slanting beams~~<br />~~
	The arm-locked lovers slowly pass.		The arm-locked lovers slowly pass.

			Out in the darkness one far light
	Out in the darkness one far light~~<br />~~		Throbs like a pulse, and fades away—
	Throbs like a pulse, and fades away—~~<br />~~		Some signal on the guarded Wight,
	Some signal on the guarded Wight,~~<br />~~		From Helen's Point to Bembridge Bay.
	From Helen's Point to Bembridge Bay.~~<br />~~		An eastern wind blows chill and raw,
	An eastern wind blows chill and raw,~~<br />~~		Cheerless and black the waters lie,
	Cheerless and black the waters lie,~~<br />~~		And as I gaze athwart the haze,
	And as I gaze athwart the haze,~~<br />~~
	I see the night patrol go by.		I see the night patrol go by.

			Creeping shadows blur the gloom,
	Creeping shadows blur the gloom,~~<br />~~		Thicken and darken, pass and fade;
	Thicken and darken, pass and fade;~~<br />~~		Again and yet again they loom,
	Again and yet again they loom,~~<br />~~		One ruby spark above each shade—
	One ruby spark above each shade—~~<br />~~		Twelve ships in all! They glide so near,
	Twelve ships in all! They glide so near,~~<br />~~		One hears the wave the fore-foot curled,
	One hears the wave the fore-foot curled,~~<br />~~		And yet to those upon the pier
	And yet to those upon the pier~~<br />~~
	They seem some other sterner world.		They seem some other sterner world.

			The coon-song whimpers to a wail,
	The coon-song whimpers to a wail,~~<br />~~		The treble laughter sinks and dies,
	The treble laughter sinks and dies,~~<br />~~		The lovers cluster on the rail,
	The lovers cluster on the rail,~~<br />~~		With whispered words and straining eyes.
	With whispered words and straining eyes.~~<br />~~		One hush of awe, and then once more
	One hush of awe, and then once more~~<br />~~		The vision fades for them and me,
	The vision fades for them and me,~~<br />~~		And there is laughter on the shore,
	And there is laughter on the shore,~~<br />~~
	And silent duty on the sea.		And silent duty on the sea.
			</poem>

TCDE-Team at 09:36, 5 June 2025

2025-06-05T09:36:04Z

New page

''The Night Patrol'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]] on 16 december 1919.

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== Editions ==

* in ''[[The Student]]'' (may 1920 [UK])
* in ''[[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]]'' (16 december 1919, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Guards Came Through and Other Poems]]'' (1920, [[George H. Doran Co.]] [US])

== The Night Patrol ==

'''September 1918'''

Behind me on the darkened pier 
They crowd and chatter, man and maid, 
A coon-song gently strikes the ear, 
A flapper giggles in the shade. 
There where the in-turned lantern gleams 
It shines on khaki and on brass; 
Across its yellow slanting beams 
The arm-locked lovers slowly pass.

Out in the darkness one far light 
Throbs like a pulse, and fades away— 
Some signal on the guarded Wight, 
From Helen's Point to Bembridge Bay. 
An eastern wind blows chill and raw, 
Cheerless and black the waters lie, 
And as I gaze athwart the haze, 
I see the night patrol go by.

Creeping shadows blur the gloom, 
Thicken and darken, pass and fade; 
Again and yet again they loom, 
One ruby spark above each shade— 
Twelve ships in all! They glide so near, 
One hears the wave the fore-foot curled, 
And yet to those upon the pier 
They seem some other sterner world.

The coon-song whimpers to a wail, 
The treble laughter sinks and dies, 
The lovers cluster on the rail, 
With whispered words and straining eyes. 
One hush of awe, and then once more 
The vision fades for them and me, 
And there is laughter on the shore, 
And silent duty on the sea.

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

The Night Patrol - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 22:38, 4 April 2026

TCDE-Team at 09:36, 5 June 2025