THEY sailed from Argos, and brought down Dardanian Priam's happy town, Far-famed. Its doom fulfilled What mighty Zeus had willed. For bright-haired Helen's beauty, long Came war and tears, -- 'tis told in song, -- A curse on patient Troy Sent Cypris, to destory. No trickster Paris suits my lay, Nought of Cassandra shall I say, The slender-ankled, nor Of Priam's sons of yore, Nought of the day which none may name When Troy's tall towers passed in flame. No deeds shall I repeat Of those the well-built fleet Of hollow warships brought to Troy, Fine heroes banded to destroy: Them Agamemnon led, A prince of princes bred. Them might the subtle muses tell, The Heliconian sisters, well: No mortal man may trace Each vessel in its place, How Menelaus set his sail From Grecian Aulis to prevail In Dardan pasture-land With his bronze-shielded band, Achaeans all! First in the fight Achilles showed his fleet-foot might, And Ajax, mighty one, Strong son of Telamon . . . And one there was surpassing fair, Whom golden-girdled Hyllis bare. But Greeks and Trojans less Admired his loveliness, When set by Troilus, side by side; Like virgin gold thrice purified Compared with common brass @3His@1 grace of body was. Loveliness still belongs to these; And with them you, Polycrates, Shall have an endless name With my song and my fame. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A MAN'S VOCATION IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS by JAMES GALVIN MY BOY by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: GODWIN JAMES by EDGAR LEE MASTERS TWO SONNETS: 1 by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON BEFORE THE FLOWERS OF FRIENDSHIP FADED FADED: 21 by GERTRUDE STEIN |