one's youth on the altar for the realisation of a noble purpose:
The soul of life is in the will to give
The best of life in willing sacrifice;
Youth only reaches greatness when he dies
In fullest prime that love and truth may live.
'Youth's Consecration' is achieved when he has gladly sacrificed himself for the salvation of freedom:
Lovers of Life, we pledge thee, Liberty,
And go to death calmly, triumphantly.
Christ taught us to succour need and 'led the way to Life—to Sacrifice':
O Thou who pleaded ever 'mid disdain
That when for weaker comrades we did give
Our own sweet lives, alone then did we live—
Know Thou, O Christ, Thou didst not live in vain,
For youth hath found in Love vitality
And treads with thee the way to Calvary.
His 'Triumph' is that 'feeling the presage of the unborn years,' Youth will
Brave the dark confines
And wrest from Death his diadem of tears,
and that though he should die in Belgium he will have no regret nor dream that his Youth has been in vain, knowing still
