Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FOURTH OF JULY ODE, by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Our fathers fought for liberty Last Line: But ourselves must set us free. Subject(s): American Revolution; Fourth Of July; Independence Day | ||||||||
OUR fathers fought for liberty; They struggled long and well, History of their deeds can tell -- But did they leave us free? Are we free from vanity, Free from pride, and free from self, Free from love of power and pelf, From everything that's beggarly? Are we free from stubborn will, From low hate and malice small, From opinion's tyrant thrall? Are none of us our own slaves still? Are we free to speak our thought, To be happy, and be poor, Free to enter Heaven's door, To live and labor as we ought? Are we, then, made free at last From the fear of what men say, Free to reverence To-day, Free from slavery of the Past? Our fathers fought for liberty; They struggled long and well, History of their deeds can tell -- But ourselves must set us free. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CONSECRATED GROUND; READ AT THE NEW YORK CITY HALL by EDWIN MARKHAM FOURTH OF JULY NIGHT by CARL SANDBURG AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL by KATHARINE LEE BATES AMERICA (1) by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT ANTIQUITY OF FREEDOM by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT CONCORD HYMN; SUNG AT COMPLETION OF CONCORD MONUMENT, 1836 by RALPH WALDO EMERSON ODE SUNG IN THE TOWN HALL, CONCORD, JULY 4, 1857 by RALPH WALDO EMERSON LIBERTY FOR ALL by WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON AFTER THE BURIAL by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL |
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