WHEN the French fleet lay In Massachusetts bay In that day When the British squadron made Its impudent parade Of blockade; All along and up and down The harbor of the town, -- The brave, proud town That had fought with all its might Its bold, brave fight For the right, To win its way alone And hold and rule its own, Such a groan From the stanch hearts and stout Of the Yankees there went out: But to rout The British lion then Were maddest folly, when One to ten Their gallant allies lay, Scant of powder, day by day In the bay. Chafing thus, impatient, sore, One day along the shore Slowly bore A clipper schooner, worn And rough and forlorn, With its torn Sails fluttering in the air: The British sailors stare At her there, So cool and unafraid. "What! she's running the blockade, The jade!" They all at once roar out, Then -- "Damn the Yankee lout!" They shout. Athwart her bows red hot They send a challenge shot; But not An inch to right or left she veers, Straight on and on she steers, Nor hears Challenge or shout, until Rings forth with British will A shrill "Heave to!" Then sharp and short Question and quick retort Make British sport. "What is it that you say, -- Where do I hail from pray, What is my cargo, eh? "My cargo? I'll allow You can hear 'em crowin' now, At the bow. "And I've long-faced gentry too, For passengers and crew, Just a few, "To fatten up, you know, For home use, and a show Of garden sass and so. "And from Taunton town I hail; Good Lord, it was a gale When I set sail!" The British captain laught As he leaned there abaft: "'T is a harmless craft, "And a harmless fellow too, With his long-faced gentry crew; Let him through," He cried; and a gay "Heave ahead!" Sounded forth, and there sped Down the red Sunset track, unafraid, Straight through the blockade, This jade Of a harmless craft, Packed full to her draught, Fore and aft, With powder and shot, One day when, red hot The British got Their full share and more Of this cargo, they swore, With a roar, At the trick she had played, This "damned Yankee jade" Who had run the blockade! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE CLOUDS: THE CLOUD CHORUS by ARISTOPHANES THE COMPLAINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER LINES; SUGGESTED BY GRAVES TWO ENGLISH SOLDIERS ON CONCORD by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL THE LEPER by ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE WYATT BEING IN PRISON, TO BRIAN by THOMAS WYATT |