Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SONG OF THE CORNISH MEN, by ROBERT STEPHEN HAWKER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SONG OF THE CORNISH MEN, by             Poem Explanation         Poet's Biography
First Line: A good sword and a trusty hand!
Last Line: "will know the reason why."
Alternate Author Name(s): Hawker Of Morwenstow; Hawker, R. S.
Variant Title(s): And Shall Trelawny Die?;the Song Of The Western Men;trelawny
Subject(s): Cornwall, England; Courage; Freedom; Trelawney, Sir Jonathan (1650-1721); Valor; Bravery; Liberty


A GOOD sword and a trusty hand,
A merry heart and true,
King James's men shall understand
What Cornish lads can do.
And have they fixed the where and when,
And shall Trelawney die?
Then twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why.
What! will they scorn Tre, Pol, and Pen?
And shall Trelawney die?
Then twenty thousand under ground
Will know the reason why.

Out spake the captain brave and bold,
A merry wight was he:
"Though London's Tower were Michael's hold,
We'll set Trelawney free.
We'll Cross the Tamar hand to hand,
The Exe shall be no stay;
We'll side by side from strand to strand,
And who shall bid us nay ?
What! will they scorn Tre, Pol, and Pen?
And shall Trelawney die?
Then twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why.

"And when we come to London wall
We'll shout with it in view,
'Come forth, come forth, ye cowards all!
We're better men than you!
Trelawney, he's in keep and hold,
Trelawney, he may die;
But here's twenty thousand Cornish bold
Will know the reason why!'
What! will they scorn Tre, Pol, and Pen?
And shall Trelawney die?
Then twenty thousand under ground
Will know the reason why."




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