THE glowing pageant of my story lies, A shaft of light, across the stormy years, When, 'mid the agony of blood and tears, Or pope or kaiser won the mournful prize, Till I, the fearless child of ocean, heard The step of doom, and trembling to my fall, Remorseful knew that I had seen unstirred Proud Freedom's death, the tyrant's festival; Whilst that Italia which was yet to be, And is, and shall be, sat, a virgin pure, High over Umbria on the mountain slopes, And saw the failing fires of liberty Fade on the chosen shrine she deemed secure, When died for many a year man's noblest hopes. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ARS VICTRIX (IMITATED FROM THEOPHILE GAUTIER) by HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON BIRTHDAY OF DANIEL WEBSTER by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES TREES IN WINTER by ARTHUR WILLIAM BEER THE INN ALBUM: PART 1 by ROBERT BROWNING THE WANDERER: 5. IN HOLLAND: KING LIMOS by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON LYING IN GRASS by MELVILLE CANE BALLAD TO THE TUNE - 'I WOULD GIVE TWENTY POUND' by PATRICK CAREY |