That the style of some ruined buildings was utterly second-rate.
"But to quit these trivial matters—let weaklings wail and weep,
The loss of a few cathedrals will never affect my sleep—
What lifts this Armageddon to an altitude sublime
Is the crowning fact that it gave me a perfectly glorious time.
"As an ultra-neutral observer I entered the battle zone
And emerged unmoved, unshaken, with a heart as cool as a stone;
No sight could touch or daunt me, no sound my soul untune;
From pity or tears or sorrow I still remained immune.
"I own that before my arrival I felt an occasional qualm