Nobly he stands beneath his weight of gear, The ermine robe, the sceptre and the ball, The golden crown worn royally, and all The gaudy panoply of yesteryear. The Abbey rings with preconcerted cheer, -- "Long live the king!"Great nobles bend the knee With time-established words of fealty; But none discern the bitten lip, the fear Of future and of past, the tremulous tongue, The shaken form, the blood-encrusted mouth, The heritage assoiled beyond repair; Acclaims unspoken, eulogies unsung, And like a menace looming in the South The figure of a king who is not there. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...DINNER IN A QUICK LUNCH ROOM by STEPHEN VINCENT BENET PARAGRAPHS: 15 by HAYDEN CARRUTH COSMOPOLITE by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON SURFACES AND MASKS; 7 by CLARENCE MAJOR SLEEPING TOGETHER by KATHERINE MANSFIELD |