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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SWORD, by MICHAEL JOSEPH BARRY First Line: What rights the brave? Last Line: And keep thee bright for ever! | |||
What rights the brave? The sword! What frees the slave? The sword! What cleaves in twain The despot's chain, And makes his gyves and dungeon vain? The sword! CHORUS. Then cease thy proud task never, While rests a link to sever! Guard of the free, We'll cherish thee, And keep thee bright for ever! What checks the knave? The sword! What smites to save? The sword! What wreaks the wrong Unpunished long, At last, upon the guilty strong? The sword! CHORUS. Then cease thy proud task never, etc. What shelters right? The sword! What makes it might? The sword! What strikes the crown Of tyrants down, And answers with its flash their frown? The sword! CHORUS. Then cease thy proud task never, etc. Still be thou true, Good sword! We'll die or do, Good sword! Leap forth to light, If tyrants smite, And trust our arms to wield thee right, Good sword! CHORUS. Yes! cease thy proud task never, While rests a link to sever! Guard of the free, We'll cherish thee, And keep thee bright for ever! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE PLACE WHERE MAN SHOULD DIE by MICHAEL JOSEPH BARRY THE WILD GEESE by MICHAEL JOSEPH BARRY HITS AND RUNS by CARL SANDBURG THE HELMSMAN by HILDA DOOLITTLE EMBLEMS OF LOVE: 10. BLIND LOVE by PHILIP AYRES THE SONG OF THE LIGHT-HEARTED by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE LINES; TO ONE WHO WISHED TO READ A POEM I HAD WRITTEN by ANNE CHARLOTTE LYNCH BOTTA THE ATAVISTIC MAID by BERTON BRALEY AN AUGUST VOICE by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING |
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