Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LEGGETT'S MONUMENT, by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

LEGGETT'S MONUMENT, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Yes, pile the marble o'er him! It is well
Last Line: Of the brave heart beneath, but of the builders' shame!
Subject(s): Abolitionists; Leggett, William (1801-1839); Monuments; Slavery; Anti-slavery; Serfs


YES, pile the marble o'er him! It is well
That ye who mocked him in his long stern strife,
And planted in the pathway of his life
The ploughshares of your hatred hot from hell,
Who clamored down the bold reformer when
He pleaded for his captive fellowmen,
Who spurned him in the market-place, and sought
Within thy walls, St. Tammany, to bind
In party chains the free and honest thought,
The angel utterance of an upright mind,
Well is it now that o'er his grave ye raise
The stony tribute of your tardy praise,
For not alone that pile shall tell to Fame
Of the brave heart beneath, but of the builders' shame!





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net