The serried hosts stood man to man, Determined either side to win, Here Turk, there Ethiopian, Their battle-field an orange-skin! And when the armies 'gan to fight I never saw a sight so sweet; The duskies put the blonds to flight, For they had never known defeat. But then the pale-faced Turks again Took heart, and rallied to the fray; They battled back with might and main, They fought like heroes all the day. It is the common rule of war To fill with tears the watchers' eyes; But this proved the exception, for The watchers smiled in glad surprise. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RUSH OF THE OREGON by ARTHUR GUITERMAN REQUIEM FOR ONE SLAIN IN BATTLE by GEORGE LUNT ODE ON SOLITUDE (FINAL PRINTED VERSION) by ALEXANDER POPE OVERTURE TO A DANCE OF LOCOMOTIVES by WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS TO THE DAISY (3) by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH TASTE, AN EPISTLE TO A YOUNG CRITIC by JOHN ARMSTRONG THE LIGHT OF ASIA by EDWIN ARNOLD TO THE GIRL WHO HELPED IN THE WAR by JOSEPHINE DODGE DASKAM BACON |