Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE LEPER KNIGHT; A LEGEND OF MALTA, by CARROLL RYAN Poet's Biography First Line: St. Elmo's walls are high and strong Last Line: Had kept his vow in dying. Alternate Author Name(s): Ryan, William Thomas Carroll Subject(s): Fights; Knights & Knighthood; Legends; Malta; Muslims; Tyranny & Tyrants; Moslems | ||||||||
St. Elmo's walls are high and strong, Brave knights are their defenders, And, though the siege has lasted long, Not one in thought surrenders. The Moslem foe, without the gate, Continuously thunder, With furious force, impelled by hate, They rend the walls asunder; But knightly arms, in battle great, Still keep them back and under. Soon crumbling walls were falling down Around the dead and dying. They won the hero-martyr crown, And where they fell were lying. Among the few, who held the wall, And fearlessly awaited The doom that would to-morrow fall On brave hearts darkly fated, One lordly spirit heard the call Triumphant and elated. For some unspoken sin, 'twas said, Or foil 'gainst Eastern charmer. He bound his helmet to his head And riveted his armour. In battle was no braver knight, In Council none was wiser, But never he to human sight Was known with open visor; His mailed hand was used to fight And of its blows no miser. The bodies of his brother knights Were in the harbour floating, Whereon, with cruel revelry, Old Solyman was gloating. While La Valette sent Turkish heads, Like bombshells from each mortar, To show how he could take revenge For Gozo's ruthless slaughter, And all the fountains of the isle Ran blood instead of water. At last St. Elmo's guns were hushed, Each embrasure deserted, And, creeping up the gloomy breach, The foe his way asserted. The castle was as still as death The ramparts all forsaken Till eager feet in covert ways Unwelcome echoes waken, When, suddenly, the granite walls Were, as by earthquake, shaken! Within the square the Chapel doors Flew, clanging loud, asunder: To gaze upon the scene within The Moslems stood in wonder. The altar was a blaze of light, Red flames about it leaping; Around in dinted armour clad, Dead knights lay as 'twere sleeping: One giant figure only stood An awful death-watch keeping. His right hand held his battle brand, His left the cross uplifted, While, o'er his head, the smoke and flame In crimson billows drifted. Last of the garrison he stood Successful foes defying. When, headlong in a gulf of fire St. Elmo's walls were flying: Then knew Valette the Leper Knight Had kept his vow in dying. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE ARABIAN HORSE by WILLIAM STEWARD GORDON MAROZIE by ANDRE-FERDINAND HEROLD BATTLE HYMN OF THE SPANISH REBELLION by LOUIS ALEXANDER MACKAY THE WAR IN EUROPE: 1915; ABDALLAH OF CAIRO SPEAKS by EDNA DEAN PROCTOR TO A YOUNG GIRL SINGING by HENRY VAN DYKE A MOHAMMEDAN LESSON by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS A FINE SUMMER MORNING by CARROLL RYAN |
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