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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE AGE OF STEEL by JOHN GOULD FLETCHER

First Line: IT WAS THE AGE OF IRON
Last Line: WELCOME, THE AGE OF STEEL!
Subject(s): INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION; STEEL;

IT was the age of iron,
Till men built furnaces
By many a silent vale, --
'Tis now the age of steel!
The great grey frameworks rise
Upwards to lowering skies,
The drills and hammers roar:
Tunnels sink, low and dull,
Earth, sea, and air are full
With shapes that leap and soar.
It is the age of steel.
The curse that was laid on man
Put God, too, 'neath its ban,
And He is dead thereof:
To break the spell of fate;
Let mankind toil and hate
Quitting the dream of love.
It is the age of steel;
Let my song, then, be a sword!
It cuts to my heart, but it pierces your own as well,
Yes, it pierces all hearts from Heaven down to hell.
Welcome, the age of steel!



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