MILTON! thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee: she is a fen Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, and pen, Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower, Have forfeited their ancient English dower Of inward happiness. We are selfish men; Oh! raise us up, return to us again; And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power. Thy soul was like a star, and dwelt apart: Thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea: Pure as the naked heavens. majestic, free, So didst thou travel on life's common way, In cheerful godliness; and yet thy heart The lowliest duties on herself did lay. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ESSAY ON STONE by HAYDEN CARRUTH I KNOW, I REMEMBER, BUT HOW CAN I HELP YOU by HAYDEN CARRUTH TWO POEMS FROM THE WAR: 2 by ARCHIBALD MACLEISH HOW THE GREAT GUEST CAME by EDWIN MARKHAM THE MILLER'S DAUGHTER by JOHN CROWE RANSOM |