A WICKED man is bad enough on earth; But O the baleful lustre of a chief Once pledged in tyranny! O star of dearth Darkly illumining a nation's grief! How many men have worn thee on their brows! Alas for them and us! God's precious gift Of gracious dispensation got by theft -- The damning form of false unholy vows! The thief of God and man must have his fee: And thou, John Lackland, despicable prince -- Basest of England's banes before or since! Thrice traitor, coward, thief! O thou shalt be The historic warning, trampled and abhorr'd Who dared to steal and stain the symbols of the Lord! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BANJO SONG by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON GRANDMOTHER'S STORY OF BUNKER HILL BATTLE by OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES SCILLA'S METAMORPHOSIS: MELANCHOLY by THOMAS LODGE ASTROPHEL AND STELLA: 74 by PHILIP SIDNEY IAMBICUM TRIMETRUM, FR. LETTER TO HARVEY by EDMUND SPENSER THE BARN by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN THE WANDERER: 5. IN HOLLAND: MYSTERY by EDWARD ROBERT BULWER-LYTTON |