Classic and Contemporary Poetry
CARMEN BELLICOSUM, by GUY HUMPHREYS MCMASTER First Line: In their ragged regimentals Last Line: Hurling death! Variant Title(s): The Old Continentals Subject(s): American Revolution; Brandywine Creek, Battle Of (1777); Patriotism; War | ||||||||
IN their ragged regimentals Stood the old Continentals, Yielding not, When the grenadiers were lunging, And like hail fell the plunging Cannon-shot; When the files Of the isles, From the smoky night encampment, bore the ban- ner of the rampant Unicorn, And grummer, grummer, grummer rolled the roll of the drummer, Through the morn! Then with eyes to the front all And with guns horizontal, Stood our sires; And the bails whistled deadly, And in streams flashing redly Blazed the fires; As the roar On the shore, ept the strong battle-breakers o'er the green- sodded acres Of the plain; d Louder, louder, louder, cracked the black gun- powder, Cracking amain! Now like smiths at their forges Worked the red St. George's Cannoneers; And the "villanous saltpetre" Rung a fierce, discordant metre Round their ears; As the swift Storm-drift, th hot sweeping anger, came the horseguards' clangor On our flanks; en higher, higher, higher, burned the old fashioned fire Through the ranks! Then the bare-headed colonel Galloped through the white infernal Powder-cloud; And his broad sword was swinging And his brazen throat was ringing Trumpet-loud. Then the blue Bullets flew, d the trooper-jackets redden at the touch of the leaden Rifle-breath; And rounder, rounder, rounder, roared the iron six-pounder, Hurling death! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...I AM YOUR WAITER TONIGHT AND MY NAME IS DIMITRI by ROBERT HASS MITRAILLIATRICE by ERNEST HEMINGWAY RIPARTO D'ASSALTO by ERNEST HEMINGWAY WAR VOYEURS by JUAN FELIPE HERRERA THE DREAM OF WAKING by RANDALL JARRELL THE SURVIVOR AMONG GRAVES by RANDALL JARRELL SO MANY BLOOD-LAKES by ROBINSON JEFFERS LENNIE SWENSON by KAREN SWENSON |
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