Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ENGLAND TO AMERICA, by WILLIAM JAMES LINTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ENGLAND TO AMERICA, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A hundred years! / too long for memory of the justest feud!
Last Line: And all we have done.
Alternate Author Name(s): Spartacus
Subject(s): England; United States; English; America


1'76.

A HUNDRED years!
Too long for memory of the justest feud!
Last century's quarrel to its end pursued
And yours the triumph, may not we grasp hands,
Now each one stands
Apart from fears?

Brothers! that word
Makes Tyranny weak; Wrong flies, nor looks behind,
Driven as dry leaves before the herald wind
That clears the way for spring's most gentle flowers.
O waiting hours!
Your plaint is heard.

Land named of hope!
Our best have hailed the promise of thy growth;
Surely hath honor's race-ground room for both
America and England, side by side,
Yet leaving pride
Sufficient scope.

New England! ours
Art thou, as England's thine: thy children own
The common parentage. Nor they alone,
But wheresoe'er is heard our English tongue --
World-widely flung
For coming hours.

Be with us then,
Thou greater England! second but in time:
Our age shall welcome our young giant's prime,
As in his sons a father takes delight,
Proud of the height
Of younger men.

O'erstride our fame!
Step past the extremest stretch of our renown!
Wreathe round Columbia's head the laurel crown
Our old heroic worth can well assign!
The crown be thine --
In England's name!

For we are one, --
In race, in will, in energy the same:
Twin aspirations of one-tongued flame.
England were fain to see you climb beyond
Our hopes most fond,
And all we have done.





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