THE bravest battle that ever was fought; Shall I tell you where and when? On the maps of the world you will find it not; It was fought by the mothers of men. Nay, not with cannon or battle shot, With sword or nobler pen; Nay not with eloquent word or thought, From mouths of wonderful men, But deep in a walled-up woman's heart-- Of woman that would not yield, But patiently, silently bore her part-- Lo! there in that battlefield. No marshaling troop, no bivouac song; No banner to gleam and wave; And oh! these battles they last so long-- From babyhood to the grave! Yet, faithful still as a bridge of stars, She fights in her walled-up town-- Fights on and on in the endless wars, Then, silent, unseen--goes down. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO W.P.: 4 by GEORGE SANTAYANA A BALLAD OF THE BOSTON TEA-PARTY [DECEMBER 16, 1773] by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES SENEX TO MATT. PRIOR by JAMES KENNETH STEPHEN EVOLUTION by JOHN BANISTER TABB THE LAMP [LAMPE] by HENRY VAUGHAN A DAY OF DAYS by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM A POEM FOR THE SEFIROT AS WHEEL OF LIGHT by NAFTALI BACHARACH |