Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CROSS OF THE SOUTH, by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: In the silence and grandeur of midnight Last Line: Soar high o'er the andes to mingle with thee. Alternate Author Name(s): Browne, Felicia Dorothea Subject(s): Constellations; Southern Hemisphere | ||||||||
IN the silence and grandeur of midnight I tread, Where savannahs, in boundless magnificence, spread, And bearing sublimely their snow-wreaths on high, The far Cordilleras unite with the sky. The fir-tree waves o'er me, the fire-flies' red light With its quick-glancing splendor illumines the night; And I read in each tint of the skies and the earth How distant my steps from the land of my birth. But to thee, as thy lode-stars resplendently burn In their clear depths of blue, with devotion I turn, Bright Cross of the South! and beholding thee shine, Scarce regret the loved land of the olive and vine. Thou recallest the ages when first o'er the main My fathers unfolded the ensign of Spain, And planted their faith in the regions that see Its unperishing symbol emblazoned in thee. How oft in their course o'er the ocean unknown, Where all was mysterious, and awful, and lone, Hath their spirit been cheered by thy light, when the deep Reflected its brilliance in tremulous sleep! As the vision that rose to the lord of the world, When first his bright banner of faith was unfurled; Even such, to the heroes of Spain, when their prow Made the billows the path of their glory, wert thou, And to me, as I traversed the world of the west, Through deserts of beauty in stillness that rest; By forests and rivers untamed in their pride, Thy hues have a language, thy course is a guide. Shine on -- my own land is a far distant spot, And the stars of thy sphere can enlighten it not; And the eyes that I love, though e'en now they may be O'er the firmament wandering, can gaze not on thee! But thou to my thoughts are a pure-blazing shrine, A fount of bright hopes, and of visions divine; And my soul, as an eagle exulting and free, Soar high o'er the Andes to mingle with thee. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LAURENCE BLOOMFIELD IN IRELAND: 10. THE FAIR by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM THE SONG OF THE SPANISH MAIN by JOHN BENNETT (1865-1956) THE DESERT ISLAND by FAIRFAX DOWNEY MOUNTAIN VILLAGE IN SOUTHERN FRANCE by CLARENCE MAJOR A DIRGE (1) by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS ARABELLA STUART by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS BERNARDO DEL CARPIO by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS CASABIANCA by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS ENGLAND'S DEAD by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS EVENING SONG OF THE TYROLESE PEASANTS by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS GREEK SONG: 1. THE STORM OF DELPHI by FELICIA DOROTHEA HEMANS |
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