“What is this?
I live alone, wounded by iron,
Struck by a sword, tired of battle work,
Weary of blades, Often I see war,
Fight a fearsome foe, I crave no comfort,
That safety might come to me out of the war-strife
Before I among men perish completely,
But the forged brands strike me,
Hard-edged and fiercely sharp, the handwork of smiths,
They bite me in the stronghold, I must wait for
A more murderous meeting, Never a physician
In the battlefield could I find
One of those who with herbs healed wounds,
But my sword slashes grow greater
Through death blows day and night.”
Answer: The Shield
Source: The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg.
