Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE MUFFLED DRUMS, by PERCY MACKAYE Poet's Biography First Line: For brothers laid in blood Last Line: And we chant, chant the world redeemed by woman. Alternate Author Name(s): Mackaye, Percy Wallace Subject(s): Drums; Musical Instruments; Pacifism; Sex Role; Women; Peace Movements | ||||||||
FOR brothers laid in blood, For lovers sundered, Defeated motherhood And manhood plundered We moan, moan the faith of man forgotten. For human vision bleared And childhood bleeding, For ripening harvests sered Before the seeding We mourn, mourn the beauty unbegotten. We were the wanton ones In old wines sunken, Who sent the nations' sons Forth, reeling drunken With blare and rhythm of war's ruthless glory. Now in our pulse no more The old wines quicken, For the bannered glory of war Trails draggled and stricken, And the blood-red beast crawls home, blinded and hoary: But we are the beating hearts Of women, whose yearing Shall harass the beast with darts Of their myriad burning Till the Angel of God remould him an image human. Yea, we are the chanting wills Of women, whose sorrow Rebels at the age-borne ills Of a man-built morrow, And we chant, chant the world redeemed by Woman. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE DISTANCE by DENISE LEVERTOV THE PACIFIST; EPIGRAM by HILAIRE BELLOC PLANKED WHITEFISH by CARL SANDBURG TO A PACIFIST FRIEND by GEORGE SANTAYANA BREAKING COVER by ELAINE TERRANOVA TO A CERTAIN VERY UGLY BUILDING: THE ARMORY by VINCENT GODFREY BURNS THE OLD MEN AND THE YOUNG MEN by WITTER BYNNER THE LAMENT OF THE VOICELESS by LAURA BELL EVERETT A CHILD AT THE WICKET by PERCY MACKAYE |
|