SEVEN years long was the bow Of battle bent, and the heightening Storm-heaps convulsed with the throe Of their uncontainable lightning; Seven years long heard the sea Crash of navies and wave-borne thunder; Then drifted the cloud-rack a-lee, And new stars were seen, a world's wonder; Each by her sisters made bright, All binding all to their stations, Cluster of manifold light Startling the old constellations: Men looked up and grew pale: Was it a comet or star, Omen of blessing or bale, Hung o'er the ocean afar? Stormy the day of her birth: Was she not born of the strong, She, the last ripeness of earth, Beautiful, prophesied long? Stormy the days of her prime: Hers are the pulses that beat Higher for perils sublime, Making them fawn at her feet. Was she not born of the strong? Was she not born of the wise? Daring and counsel belong Of right to her confident eyes: Human and motherly they, Careless of station or race: Hearken! her children to-day Shout for the joy of her face. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BRIDAL BALLAD by EDGAR ALLAN POE SONNET: 110 by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE BELFRY PIGEON by NATHANIEL PARKER WILLIS INVITATION by JOHANNA AMBROSIUS SONNETS OF MANHOOD: 36. STRONG, LIKE THE SEA by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) CLOD OF THE EARTH by ANNA HEMPSTEAD BRANCH THE TOWERS OF PRINCETON [FROM THE TRAIN] by ROBERT BRIDGES (1858-1941) |