Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PORTO RICO, by GEORGE E. BOWEN First Line: Oh, the soft blue waves of the southern sea Last Line: That is what it seems to be. Subject(s): Freedom; Islands; Puerto Ricans - New York City; South Sea Islands; Liberty | ||||||||
OH, the soft blue waves of the southern sea Are laughing beneath the stars, And the moonlight whitens the shining sands Tossed upon the coral bars; But the sentry shivers with righteous dread, As he stands in the frowning tower And measures the time, as the night wears on, With the wasting of Spanish power. And the soft blue waves of the southern sea Laugh merrily as they feel The throbbing caress of a swift young fleet And the force of its arms of steel; But the quivering form of the sentry sways In the grip of the mighty fear, And the frowning granite grows ashen gray As the hurrying morn draws near. Oh, the soft blue waves of the southern sea Are flashing with glad, white stars That are dashing their luminous purity O'er silver and crimson bars; And the sentry reads on the rising tide, As it lashes the groaning walls, The message of angered Destiny, Condemning the pride that falls. And the soft blue waves of the southern sun Shall reach, with their kind embrace, And wash from the ruins of tyranny Forever each cruel trace. And the sentry gone from his ghastly watch In penitent dreams shall see The flowers of freedom enwreathing the isle That is what it seems to be. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LOVE THE WILD SWAN by ROBINSON JEFFERS AFTER TENNYSON by AMBROSE BIERCE QUARTET IN F MAJOR by WILLIAM MEREDITH CROSS THAT LINE by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE EMANCIPATION by ELIZABETH ALEXANDER |
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