When Learning's triumph o'er her barbarous foes First reared the stage, immortal Shakespeare rose; Each change of many-colored life he drew, Exhausted worlds, and then imagined new: Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign, And panting Time toiled after him in vain. His powerful strokes presiding Truth impressed, And unresisted Passion stormed the breast. Then … Continue reading “Prologue” (For the Opening of Drury Lane Theatre, 1747)
Poetry
“Hymn”
At morn - at noon - at twilight dim- Maria! thou hast heary my hymn! In joy and woe - in good and ill - Mother of God, be with me still! When the Hours flew brightly by, And not a cloud obscured the sky, My soul, lest it should truant be, Thy grace did … Continue reading “Hymn”
“To Lucasta, Going to the Wars”
Tell me not, (sweet,) I am unkind, That from the nunnerie Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind, To war and arms I fly. True: a new Mistress now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger fair embrace A sword, a horse, a shield. Yet this inconstancy is such, As … Continue reading “To Lucasta, Going to the Wars”
Norman and Saxon
“MY son,” said the Norman Baron, “I am dying, and you will be heir To all the broad acres in England that William gave me for my share When we conquered the Saxon at Hastings, and a nice little handful it is. But before you go over to rule it I want you to understand … Continue reading Norman and Saxon
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place, and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead; short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In … Continue reading In Flanders Fields
“Say Not the Struggle Nought Availeth”
Say not the struggle nought availeth, The labor and the wounds are vain, The enemy faints not, nor faileth, And as things have been they remain. If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars; It may be, in yon smoke concealed, Your comrades chase e'en now the fliers, And, but for you, possess the field. … Continue reading “Say Not the Struggle Nought Availeth”
Tolkien’s Songs
This young lady has some of the best renditions of Tolkien's songs that I've ever heard. Not only does she have a lovely voice, but she puts just the right emotion and just the right tone into the music that brings out their poetic beauty and sense of longing and antiquity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZnPlBOZOvs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn1oeEmzFhQ … Continue reading Tolkien’s Songs
In Flanders Fields
Fitting words both for the day and in relation to my last post: In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt … Continue reading In Flanders Fields
The Gods of the Copybook Headings
Mr. Rudyard Kipling found himself dealing with many of the same idiocies and insanities in his day as we are today. Only in his time they were on the margins of society and today they are enshrined in law and policy. His poem, The Gods of the Copybook Headings, remains as succinct and devastating an assessment … Continue reading The Gods of the Copybook Headings
The Ballad of the White Horse
Before the gods that made the gods Had seen their sunrise pass, The White Horse of the White Horse Vale Was cut out of the grass. So opens G.K. Chesterton's poetic masterpiece, The Ballad of the White Horse, the tale of King Alfred and his war against the invading Norsemen. The ballad is a glorious celebration … Continue reading The Ballad of the White Horse
Serpent's Den 