Peace is generally defined as a state of quiet or tranquillity, as an absence of disturbance or agitation (Latin derivation Pax = Absentia Belli).
More specifically, it can refer to an absence of violence or war. In this sense, peace between and within national states is a goal of many persons and organisations, notably the United Nations. Peace can be voluntary, where potential agitators choose to abstain from disturbance, or it can be enforced, by suppressing those who might otherwise cause such disturbance.
Henry Timrod, known as The Poet Laureate of the Confederacy wrote passionate poems that caused many young men to enlist in the ConfederateArmy of the American Civil War. But after seeing for himself the horrors of war, he wrote this poignant prayer for peace:
