Classic and Contemporary Poetry
A POEM CONTAINING SOME REMARKS ON THE PRESENT WAR, by ANONYMOUS First Line: Britons grown big with pride Last Line: Their raptured tongues do tell / their joys great Subject(s): American Revolution;boston | ||||||||
BRITONS grown big with pride And wanton ease, And tyranny beside, They sought to please Their craving appetite, They strove with all their might, They vow'd to rise and fight, To make us bow. The plan they laid was deep Even like hell; With sympathy I weep, While here I tell Of that base murderous brood, Void of the fear of God, Who came to spill our blood In our own land. They bid their armies sail Though billows roar, And take the first fair gale For Boston's shore; They cross'd the Atlantic sea A long and watery way, Poor Boston fell a prey To tyranny. Gage was both base and mean, He dare not fight, The men he sent were seen Like owls in night: It was in Lexington Where patriots' blood did run Before the rising sun In crimson gore. Here sons of freedom fell Rather than flee, Unto those brutes of hell They fell a prey; But they shall live again, Their names shall rise and reign Among the noble slain In all our land. But oh! this cruel foe Went on in haste, To Concord they did go, And there did waste Some stores in their rage, To gratify old Gage, His name in every page Shall be defam'd. Their practice thus so base, And murder too, Rouz'd up the patriot race, Who did pursue, And put this foe to flight, They could not bear the light, Some rued the very night They left their den. And now this cruelty Was spread abroad, The sons of liberty This act abhorr'd, Their noble blood did boil, Forgetting all the toil, In troubles they could smile, And went in haste. Our army willingly Did then engage, To stop the cruelty Of tyrants' rage! They did not fear our foe, But ready were to go, And let the tyrants know Whose sons they were. But when old Gage did see All us withstand, And strive for liberty Through all our land, He strove with all his might, For rage was his delight, With fire he did fight, A monster he. On Charlestown he display'd His fire abroad; He it in ashes laid, An act abhorr'd By sons of liberty, Who saw the flames on high Piercing their native sky, And now lies waste. To Bunker-Hill they came Most rapidly, And many there were slain, And there did die. They call'd it bloody hill, Altho' they gain'd their will In triumph they were still, 'Cause of their slain. Here sons of freedom fought Right manfully, A wonder here was wrought Though some did die. Here WARREN bow'd to death, His last expiring breath, In language mild he saith, Fight on, brave boys. Oh! this did stain the pride Of British troops, They saw they were deny'd Of their vain hopes Of marching thro' our land, When twice a feeble band, Did fight and boldly stand In our defence. Brave WASHINGTON did come To our relief; He left his native home, Filled with grief, He did not covet gain, The cause he would maintain And die among the slain Rather than flee. His bosom glow'd with love For liberty, His passions much did move To orphans' cry, He let proud tyrants know, How far their bounds should go And then his bombs did throw Into their den. This frighted them full sore When bombs were sent, When cannon loud did roar They left each tent: Oh! thus did the tyrants fly, Went precipitately, Their shipping being nigh, They sailed off. And now Boston is free From tyrants base, The sons of liberty Possess the place; They now in safety dwell, Free from those brutes of hell, Their raptur'd tongues do tell Their joys great. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CLEAR AND COLDER; BOSTON COMMON by ROBERT FROST THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM by AMY LOWELL THE SEVEN CITIES OF AMERICA by EDGAR LEE MASTERS SUNDAY IN BOSTON by JOHN UPDIKE BOSTON YEAR by ELIZABETH ALEXANDER THE THANKSGIVING IN BOSTON HARBOR [JUNE 12, 1630] by HEZEKIAH BUTTERWORTH TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
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