No pause now for campaigner or for man! No climacteric this—the Psalmist's span! Let Churchill take the milestone in his stride, And treat a birthday as a foe defied. Earth's champion! Whom, as war's full doom draws near, The free and true love more, the bad more fear; Who, in his Marlborough's manner soldier first, Long in the Commons and in councils versed, So touched our instincts that with one consent We hailed him all men's man in Parliament; Who in the nation's night made hope respire, And blew our damped-down speech to sparks of fire; Who in the Cabinet or in the street By constant presence kept bombed London sweet; Who, would he fare abroad, with eye benign Was to Expectance as the victory-sign. Of faith unlimited, a boy to dare, Refreshed by ocean and enlarged by air, Within the last five circlings of the sun Where has he not been, what has he not done? Seek you his match? Search through time's roll of men, And ask who lived as he at threescore ten! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO ROSAMONDE: A BALADE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE MAIDEN QUEEN: SONG by JOHN DRYDEN SEASHORE (1) by RALPH WALDO EMERSON VAN ELSEN by FREDERICK GEORGE SCOTT IDYLL 11. THE CYCLOPS by THEOCRITUS THE HIGH TIDE AT GETTYSBURG [JULY 3, 1863] by WILL HENRY THOMPSON |