Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BRITANNIA TO COLUMBIA, by ALFRED AUSTIN


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BRITANNIA TO COLUMBIA, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: What is the voice I hear
Last Line: "stronger than death is strong."
Variant Title(s): England To America;a Voice From The West;to America
Subject(s): England; Friendship; United States; English; America


WHAT is the voice I hear
On the wind of the Western Sea?
Sentinel, listen from out Cape Clear,
And say what the voice may be.
"'T is a proud, free people calling aloud to a people proud and free.

"And it say to them, 'Kinsmen, hail!
We severed have been too long;
Now let us have done with a wornout tale,
The tale of an ancient wrong,
And our friendship last long as love doth last, and be
stronger than death is strong!'"

Answer them, sons of the selfsame race,
And blood of the selfsame clan,
Let us speak with each other, face to face,
And answer as man to man,
And loyally love and trust each other as none but free men can.

Now fling them out to the breeze,
Shamrock, thistle, and rose,
And the Star-Spangled Banner unfurl with these,
A message to friends and foes,
Wherever the sails of peace are seen and wherever the war wind blows.

A message to bond and thrall to wake,
For wherever we come, we twain,
The throne of the tyrant shall rock and quake
And his menace be void and vain,
For you are lords of a strong young land and we are lords of the main.

Yes, this is the voice on the bluff March gale,
"We severed have been too long;
But now we have done with a wornout tale,
The tale of an ancient wrong,
And our friendship shall last long as love doth last and be
stronger than death is strong."





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