Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE ATTACK, by THOMAS BUCHANAN READ Poet's Biography First Line: In hampton roads, the airs of march were bland Last Line: She sank, thank god! Unsoiled by foot of traitor! Subject(s): American Civil War; Cumberland (ship); Hampton Roads, Virginia; Morris, George Upham; Sea Battles; U.s. - History; Virginia (ship); Naval Warfare; Merrimac (ship) | ||||||||
IN Hampton Roads, the airs of March were bland, Peace on the deck and in the fortress sleeping, Till, in the look-out of the Cumberland, The sailor, with his well-poised glass in hand, Descried the iron island downward creeping. A sudden wonder seized on land and bay, And Tumult, with her train, was there to follow; For still the stranger kept its seaward way, Looking a great leviathan blowing spray, Seeking with steady course his ocean wallow. And still it came, and largened on the sight; A floating monster; ugly and gigantic; In shape, a wave, with long and shelving height, As if a mighty billow, heaved at night, Should turn to iron in the mid-Atlantic. Then ship and fortress gazed with anxious stare, Until the Cumberland's cannon, silence breaking, Thundered its guardian challenge, "Who comes there?" But, like a rock-flung echo in the air, The shot rebounded, no impression making. Then roared a broadside; though directed well, On, like a nightmare, moved the shape defiant; The tempest of our pounding shot and shell Crumbled to harmless nothing, thickly fell From off the sounding armor of the giant! Unchecked, still onward through the storm it broke, With beak directed at the vessel's centre; Then through the constant cloud of sulphurous smoke Drove, till it struck the warrior's wall of oak, Making a gateway for the waves to enter. Struck, and to note the mischief done, withdrew, And then, with all a murderer's impatience, Rushed on again, crushing her ribs anew, Cleaving the noble hull well-nigh in two, And on it sped its fiery imprecations. Swift through the vessel swept the drowning swell, With splash, and rush, and guilty rise appalling; While sinking cannon rung their own loud knell. Then, cried the traitor, from his sulphurous cell, "Do you surrender?" Oh, those words were galling! How spake our captain to his comrades then? It was a shout from out a soul of splendor, Echoed from lofty maintop, and again Between-decks, from the lips of dying men, "Sink! sink, boys, sink! but never say surrender!" Down went the ship! Down, down; but never down Her sacred flag to insolent dictator. Weep for the patriot heroes, doomed to drown; Pledge to the sunken Cumberland's renown. She sank, thank God! unsoiled by foot of traitor! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CUMBERLAND [MARCH 8, 1862] by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE CUMBERLAND by HERMAN MELVILLE HOW THE CUMBERLAND WENT DOWN [MARCH 8, 1862] by SILAS WEIR MITCHELL ON BOARD THE CUMBERLAND by GEORGE HENRY BOKER THE SINKING OF THE MERRIMAC [MAY 10, 1862] by LUCY LARCOM NEWPORT NEWS by CINCINNATUS HEINE MILLER DRIFTING by THOMAS BUCHANAN READ SHERIDAN'S RIDE [DECEMBER 19, 1864] by THOMAS BUCHANAN READ THE CLOSING SCENE by THOMAS BUCHANAN READ BLENNERHASSET'S ISLAND by THOMAS BUCHANAN READ FANCIES IN THE FIRELIGHT, IN THE CONVENT OF SAINT BERNARD by THOMAS BUCHANAN READ |
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