FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39  
40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>   >|  
stream, quick with Promethean flame, Peopled the world with imaged grace and light. The lyre was his, and his the breathing might Of the immortal marble, his the play Of diamond-pointed thought and golden tongue. Go seek the sunshine race. Ye find to-day A broken column and a lute unstrung. "O World-God, give me Power!" the Roman cried. His prayer was granted. The vast world was chained A captive to the chariot of his pride, The blood of myriad provinces was drained To feed that fierce, insatiable red heart-- Invulnerably bulwarked every part With serried legions and with close-meshed Code. Within, the burrowing worm had gnawed its home: A roofless ruin stands where once abode The imperial race of everlasting Rome. "O God-head, give me Truth!" the Hebrew cried. His prayer was granted. He became the slave Of the Idea, a pilgrim far and wide, Cursed, hated, spurned, and scourged with none to save. The Pharaohs knew him, and when Greece beheld, His wisdom wore the hoary crown of Eld. Beauty he hath forsworn, and wealth and power. Seek him to-day, and find in every land. No fire consumes him, neither floods devour; Immortal through the lamp within his hand. EMMA LAZARUS. * * * * * ENGLAND. FROM "THE TIMEPIECE": "THE TASK," BK. II. England, with all thy faults, I love thee still,-- My country! and, while yet a nook is left Where English minds and manners may be found, Shall be constrained to love thee. Though thy clime Be fickle, and thy year most part deformed With dripping rains, or withered by a frost, I would not yet exchange thy sullen skies, And fields without a flower, for warmer France With all her vines; nor for Ausonia's groves Of golden fruitage and her myrtle bowers. To shake thy senate, and from height sublime Of patriot eloquence to flash down fire Upon thy foes, was never meant my task: But I can feel thy fortunes, and partake Thy joys and sorrows with as true a heart As any thunderer there. And I can feel Thy follies too; and with a just disdain Frown at effeminates whose very looks Reflect dishonor on the land I love. How, in the name of soldiership and sense, Should England prosper, when such things, as smooth And tender as a girl, all essenced o'er With odors, and as profligate as sweet, Who sell their laurel for a myrtle wreath, And l
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39  
40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

England

 

prayer

 
granted
 
myrtle
 
golden
 

withered

 

deformed

 

fickle

 

dripping

 

fields


flower

 

tender

 

warmer

 

essenced

 

exchange

 
sullen
 

profligate

 
country
 

wreath

 
laurel

constrained

 

France

 
Though
 

English

 

manners

 

Ausonia

 

thunderer

 

sorrows

 

Should

 

prosper


soldiership

 
follies
 

dishonor

 

Reflect

 

effeminates

 

disdain

 

partake

 

fortunes

 

bowers

 

senate


height

 

things

 

fruitage

 

groves

 

sublime

 

patriot

 
eloquence
 
smooth
 
floods
 

drained