PRISONERS, where'er in bitter cells and small To-night you watch or sleep the hours away, Till the beginning of no hopeful day Maps out your angry and steel-latticed wall, Have mercy on me, for whose sake you are thrall To what man knows of fear, and are the prey Of the general mind, which slays you lest it slay, And, lest it rob, robs you—and so with all. By you against her citizens the land Protects herself: what each one singly would, The commonwealth of all hates, and for fear Of her own lusts hath clutched you with rough hand; By you against herself protects her good, On you inflicts what I and all should bear. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...WAITER IN A CALIFORNIA VIETNAMESE RESTURANT by CLARENCE MAJOR PRAYER TO THE OCEAN by GEORGE SANTAYANA A PHONECALL FROM FRANK O'HARA by ANNE WALDMAN PRISONED IN WINDSOR, HE RECOUNTETH HIS PLEASURE THERE PASSED by HENRY HOWARD SONNET TO MASTER GABRIELL HARVEY, DOCTOR OF LAWES by EDMUND SPENSER A GARDEN SPOT by PRINGLE BARRET SATISFIED by HESTER A. BENEDICT SONNET ON THE NUPTIALS OF THE MARQUIS ANTONIO CAVALLI by GEORGE GORDON BYRON |