Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE SONG OF THE LOWER CLASSES, by ERNEST CHARLES JONES


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE SONG OF THE LOWER CLASSES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: We plough and sow - we're so very, very low
Last Line: But too low to touch the spoil.
Subject(s): Labor & Laborers; Work; Workers


We plough and sow -- we're so very, very low
That we delve in the dirty clay,
Till we bless the plain with the golden grain,
And the vale with the fragrant hay.
Our place we know -- we 're so very low,
'T is down at the landlord's feet:
We're not too low the bread to grow,
But too low the bread to eat.
Down, down we go -- we're so very, very low--
To the hell of the deep-sunk mines,
But we gather the proudest gems that glow
When the crown of a despot shines.
And whenever he lacks, upon our backs
Fresh loads he deigns to lay:
We're far too low to vote the tax,
But not too low to pay.
We're low -- we're low -- mere rabble, we know;
But at our plastic power,
The mold at the lordling's feet will grow
Into palace and church and tower;
Then prostrate fall in the rich man's hall,
And cringe at the rich man's door:
We're not too low to build the wall,
But too low to tread the floor.
We're low, -- we're low -- we're very, very low,--
Yet from our fingers glide
The silken flow and the robes that glow
Round the limbs of the sons of pride.
And what we get, and what we give,
We know, and we know our share:
We're not too low the cloth to weave,
But too low the cloth to wear!
We're low -- we're low -- we're very, very low;
And yet when the trumpets ring,
The thrust of a poor man's arm will go
Through the heart of the proudest king.
We're low -- we're low -- our place we know,
We're only the rank and file:
We're not too low to kill the foe,
But too low to touch the spoil.




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