Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ATTACK ON THE PRESIDENT, by AMOS RUSSEL WELLS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ATTACK ON THE PRESIDENT, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A land of freedom! Who is free?
Last Line: And law alone -- on manly men.
Subject(s): Freedom; Mckinley, William (1843-1901); Liberty


A land of freedom! Who is free?
The kindly heart, the trusty brain?
Or lawless fiends of anarchy,
Low-browed, black-hearted, and insane?

A land of boasted liberty!
But liberty for doing -- what?
For righteousness, or infamy,
For manly toil, or beastly plot?

Free speech! that loosens from their cage
A thousand passions of the pit.
Free press! with license to enrage
By lying slanders foully writ.

A refuge for the world's oppressed!
And for the world's oppressors, too.
Its white and red that bleeding breast,
A darting adder for its blue.

And when, ah, stupid patriots, when
Shall empty phrases find their graves,
And we, vain-fancied freedom's men,
No longer wear the yoke of slaves?

By every from of lawlessness
That stalks unfettered through the land,
Our freedom dwindles, less to less,
Our bondage wins a stronger hand.

For flaming words of blinded hate
Run swift and sure to fiery deed.
Dost fear the serpent? Do not wait,
But go, destroy the serpent's seed.

By brave McKinley's martyr moan
Be taught, O sorrowing citizen,
That freedom rests on law alone,
And law alone -- on manly men.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net