ITALIA! thou art fallen, though with sheen Of battle-spears thy clamorous armies stride From the north Alps to the Sicilian tide! Ay! fallen, though the nations hail thee Queen Because rich gold in every town is seen, And on thy sapphire lake in tossing pride Of wind-filled vans thy myriad galleys ride Beneath one flag of red and white and green. O Fair and Strong! O Strong and Fair in vain! Look southward where Rome's desecrated town Lies mourning for her God-anointed King! Look heaven-ward! shall God allow this thing? Nay! but some flame-girt Raphael shall come down, And smite the Spoiler with the sword of pain. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BERKSHIRE HOLIDAY by CLIFFORD BAX VENETIAN BLIND by HELEN DARBY BERNING A VERMONT BOOTMAKER by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 10 by THOMAS CAMPION HIS DAUGHTER, DYING ON HER FATHER'S BIRTHDAY by HENRY CAREY (1687-1743) |