Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE GATE OF THE ARMIES, by HENRI FRANCOIS JOSEPH DE REGNIER Poet's Biography First Line: Swing out thy doors, high gate that dreadst not night Last Line: "of your red feet leaves clear its sanguine trace." Subject(s): Soldiers | ||||||||
Swing out thy doors, high gate that dreadst not night, Bronze to the left and iron to the right. Deep in a cistern has been flung thy key; If dread thee close, anathema on thee; And like twin shears let thy twin portals cut The hand's fist through that would thee falsely shut Again thy dusky vault hath heard resound Steps of strong men who never yet gave ground, Marching with whom came breathless and came bold Victory naked with broad wings of gold. Her glaive to guide them calmly soars and dips; Her kiss is lifeblood's purple on their lips. From rose-round mouths the clarions shake and shrill, A brazen boom of bees that hunt to kill. "Drink, swarm of war, stream from your plated hives And cull death's dust on flowery-fleshed fierce lives, So, when back home to native town ye march, Beneath those golden wings and my black arch May all men watch my pavement, as each pace Of your red feet leaves clear its sanguine trace." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ALL ARMIES ARE THE SAME by ERNEST HEMINGWAY ABSENT WITH OFFICIAL LEAVE by RANDALL JARRELL PORT OF EMBARKATION by RANDALL JARRELL THE CONFESSION OF ST. JIM-RALPH by DENIS JOHNSON OPERATION MEMORY by DAVID LEHMAN A LESSER ODE by HENRI FRANCOIS JOSEPH DE REGNIER |
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