O EARTH, earth, earth! where wilt thou hide thy slain? How cover up the blood thy children pour in vain? The air is rank with death, and rent with shrieks and groans, For still the voice of war rolls out in thunder tones. O earth, earth, earth! there comes an awful day When thou and all thy works shall burn and melt away; When all thy dead shall rise, and the sepulchral sea Shall render up the dead that in her caverns be. O earth, earth, earth! thy heart is hard and cold, More cruel, cruel still when waxing dim and old; "Thy voice is still for war," and through the oceans spilt Of kindred blood—thou still would'st wade to deeper depths of guilt. O earth, earth, earth! let not poor Poland's name In mocking sympathy be breathed for very, very shame; "The boar that from the forest comes doth waste her at his pleasure," Much soulless sympathy thou gav'st and savest thy blood and treasure. O earth, earth, earth! was thy maternal breast E'er so outraged, so foully stained, so reft of peace and rest? The children of one home, the brothers of one race, Who flash their fratricidal swords before the mother's face. O earth, earth, earth! hear'st thou the solemn call? The voice of Him who speaks, the Father—God of all? Let tyrants quail, for God is judge, and sets the prisoners free, The wrath of man but works His will, earth's sovereign judge is He. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LITTLE VAGABOND, FR. SONGS OF EXPERIENCE by WILLIAM BLAKE THE SNOW-SHOWER by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT A VALEDICTION: FORBIDDING MOURNING by JOHN DONNE FOUR-LEAF CLOVER by ELLA (RHOADS) HIGGINSON SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: FIDDLER JONES by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THE HOUSE OF LIFE: 53. WITHOUT HER by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI |