Contemn? Damn right!

I was discussing with my father the Laurence Binyon stanza used repeatedly at memorials for the fallen service personell of whatever war or conflict they fought and or died in. I used the stanza in its exact format and spelling, i.e. :

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Please note the use of the word contemn. Whenever I’ve heard this spoken aloud the word is virtually *always* altered to condemn as if Binyon had made an error. However by changing the word they make a distinct change in the meaning implicit in the stanza.

For those who think I’m being pedantic (yet again) please check the meanings of the two words from ‘freedictionary.com’, Contemn and Condemn. It’s time for people to contact the media and make them use the correct word and return the original meaning and dignity to the stanza.


2 thoughts on “Contemn? Damn right!

  1. Amazing a source like that could be wrong!

    As they themselves said, Binyon was quite clear on the wording but it seems it was a less well educated editor who made the initial error.

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