Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE LAST OF THE EURYDICE, by JOSEPH NOEL PATON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LAST OF THE EURYDICE, by             Poem Explanation        
First Line: The training-ship eurydice
Last Line: Only an hour from home!
Subject(s): Eurydice (ship)


THE training-ship Eurydice --
As tight a craft, I ween,
As ever bore brave men who lov'd
Their country and their queen --
Built when a ship, sir, was a ship,
And not a steam-machine.

Six months or more she had been out
Cruising the Indian sea;
And now, with all her canvas bent --
A fresh breeze blowing free --
Up Channel in her pride she came,
The brave Eurydice.

On Saturday it was we saw
The English cliffs appear,
And fore and aft, from man and boy,
Uprang one mighty cheer;
While many a rough-and-ready hand
Dash'd off the gathering tear.

We saw the heads of Dorset rise
Fair in the Sabbath sun;
We mark'd each hamlet gleaming white,
The church spires, one by one;
We thought we heard the church bells ring
To hail our voyage done.

"Only an hour from Spithead, lads:
Only an hour from home!"
So sang the captain's cheery voice
As we spurn'd the ebbing foam;
And each young sea-dog's heart sang back
"Only an hour from home!"

No warning ripple crisp'd the wave
To tell of danger nigh;
Nor looming rack, nor driving scud --
From out a smiling sky,
With sound as of the trump of doom,
The squall broke suddenly.

A hurricane of wind and snow
From off the Shanklin shore;
It caught us in its blinding whirl
One instant, and no more;
For, ere we dream'd of trouble near,
All earthly hope was o'er.

No time to shorten sail, -- no time
To change the vessel's course;
The storm had caught her crowded masts
With swift, resistless force.
Only one shrill, despairing cry
Rose o'er the tumult hoarse.

And broadside the great ship went down,
Amid the swirling foam;
And with her nigh four hundred men
Went down, in sight of home,
(Fletcher and I alone were sav'd)
Only an hour from home!





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