WHEN lakes of western waters, prison bound From breaking of the world's first crimson morn, Searched with a strong and ancient hope forlorn Their strange and undiscovered shores around, And yet no welcome door to freedom found, But saw beyond Niagara's neck of land The distant glories of the Atlantic grand And heard the eternal thunder's muffled sound; Then, as some mountain glacier, huge and deep, That grinds and crushes each opposing foe Which from the valley's liberties would keep Its mighty weight of captive ice and snow, The waters moved and took Niagara's leap And thundered to the sea with joyful flow. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FRAGMENTS INTENDED FOR DEATH'S JEST-BOOK: A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES THE BISHOP ORDERS HIS TOMB AT SAINT PRAXED'S CHURCH by ROBERT BROWNING TO MRS. THRALE [ON HER COMPLETING HER THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR] by SAMUEL JOHNSON (1709-1784) THE DYING SWAN by THOMAS STURGE MOORE RETURNING, WE HEAR THE LARKS by ISAAC ROSENBERG AMORETTI: 64 by EDMUND SPENSER |