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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
CENTENNIAL MEDITATION OF COLUMBIA, by SIDNEY LANIER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: From this hundred-terraced height Last Line: And wave the world's best lover's welcome to the world. Subject(s): Patriotism; United States - Centennial Celebrations | |||
1776-1'76 FROM this hundred-terraced height, Sight more large with nobler light Ranges down yon towering years. Humbler smiles and lordlier tears Shine and fall, shine and fall, While old voices rise and call Yonder where the to-and-fro Weltering of my Long-Ago Moves about the moveless base Far below my resting-place. Mayflower, Mayflower, slowly hither flying, Trembling westward o'er yon balking sea, Hearts within Farewell dear England sighing, Winds without But dear in vain replying, Gray-lipp'd waves about thee shouted, crying "No! It shall not be!" Jamestown, out of thee -- Plymouth, thee -- thee, Albany -- Winter cries, Ye freeze: away! Fever cries, Ye burn: away! Hunger cries, Ye starve: away! Vengeance cries, Your graves shall stay! Then old Shapes and Masks of Things, Framed like Faiths or clothed like Kings, Ghosts of Goods once fleshed and fair, Grown foul Bads in alien air -- War, and his most noisy lords, Tongued with lithe and poisoned swords -- Error, Terror, Rage, and Crime, All in a windy night of time Cried to me from land and sea, No! Thou shalt not be! Hark! Huguenots whispering yea in the dark, Puritans answering yea in the dark! Yea like an arrow shot true to his mark, Darts through the tyrannous heart of Denial. Patience and Labor and solemn-souled Trial, Foiled, still beginning, Soiled, but not sinning, Toil through the stertorous death of the Night, Toil when wild brother-wars new-dark the Light, Toil, and forgive, and kiss o'er, and replight. Now Praise to God's oft-granted grace, Now Praise to Man's undaunted face, Despite the land, despite the sea, I was: I am: and I shall be -- How long, Good Angel, O how long? Sing me from Heaven a man's own song! "Long as thine Art shall love true love, Long as thy Science truth shall know, Long as thine Eagle harms no Dove, Long as thy Law by law shall grow, Long as thy God is God above, Thy brother every man below, So long, dear Land of all my love, Thy name shall shine, thy fame shall glow!" O Music, from this height of time my Word unfold: In thy large signals all men's hearts Man's heart behold: Mid-heaven unroll thy chords as friendly flags unfurled, And wave the world's best lover's welcome to the world. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CENTENNIAL HYMN by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER AFTER THE CENTENNIAL (A HOPE) by CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH THE CENTENNIAL YEAR by CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH YORKTOWN CENTENNIAL LYRIC by PAUL HAMILTON HAYNE WELCOME TO THE NATIONS by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES A BIRTHDAY SONG by SIDNEY LANIER A FLORIDA GHOST by SIDNEY LANIER A FLORIDA SUNDAY by SIDNEY LANIER A SEA-SHORE GRAVE by SIDNEY LANIER |
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