Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE EAGLES, by HUMPHRY DAVY



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE EAGLES, by                    
First Line: The mighty birds still upward rose
Last Line: The light of joy and immortality.
Subject(s): Birds; Eagles


THE mighty birds still upward rose,
In slow but constant and most steady flight,
The young ones following; and they would pause,
As if to teach them how to bear the light,
And keep the solar glory full in sight.
So went they on till, from excess of pain,
I could no longer bear the scorching rays;
And when I looked again, they were not seen,
Lost in the brightness of the solar blaze.
Their memory left a type, and a desire:
So should I wish towards the light to rise,
Instructing younger spirits to aspire
Where I could never reach amidst the skies,
And joy below to see them lifted higher,
Seeking the light of purest glory's prize.
So would I look on splendour's brightest day
With an undazzled eye, and steadily
Soar upwards full in the immortal ray,
Through the blue depths of the unbounded sky,
Portraying wisdom's boundless purity.
Before me still a lingering ray appears,
But broken and prismatic, seen through tears.
The light of joy and immortality.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...



Home: PoetryExplorer.net