"All honor to him who shall win the prize," The world has cried for a thousand years; But to him who tries, and who fails and dies, I give great honor and glory and tears: Give glory and honor and pitiful tears To all who fail in their deeds sublime; Their ghosts are many in the van of years, They were born with Time, in advance of their Time. Oh, great is the hero who wins a name, But greater many and many a time Some pale-faced fellow who dies in shame, And lets God finish the thought sublime. And great is the man with a sword undrawn, And good is the man who refrains from wine; But the man who fails and yet still fights on, Lo, he is the twin-born brother of mine. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...EPITAPH: FOR MY GRANDMOTHER by COUNTEE CULLEN THE CHARIOT by EMILY DICKINSON A BETTER RESURRECTION by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI FRIENDSHIP; A SONNET by ALFRED TENNYSON THE LINCOLN HOME by ZELLA ACKERMAN THE ORGAN GRINDER by RONALD WALKER BARR STANZAS ON THE DEATH OF A CHILD by BERNARD BARTON TO MR. WILLIAM BASSE UPON THE NOW PUBLISHING OF HIS POEMS by RALPH BATHURST |