ABSTRACT
During the first 15 years of the nineteenth century, war in Europe was a constant background to the poetry and prose of the Romantic period. By the end of the century, however, the celebration of gallantry had been challenged by a persistent anti-war ideology that was associated with the 'Decadent' movements of the period. The first Afghan War had seen the destruction of a British army, with only a few prisoners surviving and a single medical officer, Dr. William Brydon, returning exhausted to Jalalabad. Civilian life for a soldier, after serving the Queen, is a lesser kind of life. Mulvaney's pride is an important element in his soldierly behaviour. His morality is as hard as his fists, and he despises meanness, incompetence, and trickery. Kipling's war poetry was brilliant preaching. It was used to raise money and to raise morale, as in the Christmas greetings sent 'With Best Wishes and Kindly Thoughts from South Africa' during the second Boer War.
