Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FOR THE NEW YEAR 1806, by HENRY JAMES PYE Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: When ardent zeal for virtuous fame Last Line: And heroes, yet unborn, shall britain owe to thee. Subject(s): Holidays; New Year; Trafalgar, Battle Of | ||||||||
When ardent zeal for virtuous fame, When virtuous honour's holy flame; Sit on the gen'rous warrior's sword, Weak is the loudest lay the Muse can sing, His deeds of valour to record; And weak the boldest flights of Fancy's wing: For far above her high career, Upborne by worth the immortal chief shall rise, And to the lay-enraptur'd ear Of Seraphs listening from th' empyreal sphere, Glory, her hymn divine, shall carol through the skies. For though the Muse in all unequal strain Sung of the wreaths that Albion's warriors bore From ev'ry region and from ev'y shore, The naval triumphs of her George's reign Triumphs by many a valiant son From Gaul, Iberia, and Batavia won; Or by St Vincent's rocky mound, Or sluggish Texel's shoaly sound; Or Haffnia's hyperborean wave, Or where Canopus' billows lave Th' Egyptian coast, while Albion's genius guides Her dauntless hero through the fav'ring tides, Where rocks, nor sands, nor tempests' roar, Nor batteries thundering from the shore, Arrest the fury of his naval war, When Glory shines the leading star; Still higher deeds the lay recording claim, Still rise Britannia's sons to more exalted fame. The fervid source of heat and light Descending through the western skies, Though veil'd awhile from mortal sight, Emerging soon with golden beams shall rise, In orient climes with brighter radiance shine, And sow th' ethereal plains with flame divine. So damp'd by Peace's transient smile, If Britain's glory seem to fade awhile, Yet when occasion's kindling rays Relumine valour's gen'rous blaze, Higher the radiant flames aspire, And shine with clearer light and glow with fiercer fire. From Europe's shores th' insidious train, Eluding Britain's watchful eye, Rapid across th' Atlantic fly To isles that stud the western main; There proud their conqu'ring banners seem to rise, And fann'd by shadowy triumphs flout the skies: But, lo! th' avenging Pow'r appears, His victor-flag immortal Nelson rears; Swift as the raven's ominous race Fly the strong eagle o'er th' ethereal space, The Gallic barks the billowy deep divide, Their conquests lost in air, o'erwhelm'd in shame their pride. The hour of vengeance comesby Gades' tow'rs, By high Trafalgar's ever-trophied shore, The godlike warrior on the adverse Pow'rs Leads his resistless fleet with daring prore, Terrific as th' electric bolt that flies With fatal shock athwart the thund'ring skies, By the mysterious will of Heaven On man's presuming offspring driven, Full on the scatter'd foe he hurls his fires, Performs the dread behest, and in the flash expires But not his fameWhile chiefs who bleed For sacred duty's holy meed, With glory's amaranthine wreath, By weeping Victory crown'd in death, In History's awful page shall stand Foremost amid th' heroic band; NELSON! so long thy hallow'd name Thy Country's gratitude shall claim; And while a people's paeans raise To thee the choral hymn of praise, And while a patriot Monarch's tear Bedews and sanctifies thy bier, Each youth of martial hope shall feel True valour's animating zeal; With emulative wish thy trophies see, And heroes, yet unborn, shall Britain owe to thee. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LAST THREE FROM TRAFALGAR by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI TRAFALGAR by FRANCIS TURNER PALGRAVE NELSON'S VICTORY AT TRAFALGAR by UNKNOWN AEROPHORION: THE AIR BALLOON by HENRY JAMES PYE FOR THE KING'S BIRTHDAY 1794 by HENRY JAMES PYE FOR THE NEW YEAR 1791 by HENRY JAMES PYE PROLOGUE INTENDED FOR 'VORTIGERN' by HENRY JAMES PYE CONTRA MORTEM: THE SUMMER by HAYDEN CARRUTH TO ATLANTA UNIVERSITY - ITS FOUNDERS AND TEACHERS by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON |
|