“Our cavalry have rescued Nazareth from the enemy whose supermen described Christianity as a creed for slaves.” The Emperor mocked at Nazareth In his almighty hour. The Slave that bowed himself to death And walked with slaves in Nazareth, What were his words but wasted breath Before that “will to power”? Yet, in the darkest […]

(1904) The sunset lingered in the pale green West: In rosy wastes the low soft evening star Woke; while the last white sea-mew sought for rest; And tawny sails came stealing o’er the bar. But, in the hillside cottage, through the panes The light streamed like a thin far trumpet-call, And quickened, as with quivering […]

Under an arch of glorious leaves I passed Out of the wood and saw the sickle moon Floating in daylight o’er the pale green sea. It was the quiet hour before the sun Gathers the clouds to prayer and silently Utters his benediction on the waves That whisper round the death-bed of the day. The […]

Last night I rode with Touchstone on a bus From Ludgate Hill to World’s End. It was he! Despite the broadcloth and the bowler hat, I knew him, Touchstone, the wild flower of folly, The whetstone of his age, the scourge of kings, The madcap morning star of elfin-land, Who used to wrap his legs […]

The man who discovered the use of a chair, Odds–bobs– What a wonderful man! He used to sit down on it, tearing his hair, Till he thought of a highly original plan. For years he had sat on his chair, like you, Quite–still! But his looks were grim For he wished to be famous (as […]

“I want to be new,” said the duckling. “O, ho!” said the wise old owl, While the guinea-hen cluttered off chuckling To tell all the rest of the fowl. “I should like a more elegant figure,” That child of a duck went on. “I should like to grow bigger and bigger, Until I could swallow […]

Shun the brush and shun the pen, Shun the ways of clever men, When they prove that black is white, Whey they swear that wrong is right, When they roast the singing stars Like chestnuts, in between the bars, Children, let a wandering fool Stuff your ears with cotton-wool. When you see a clever man […]

Why do we make our music? Oh, blind dark strings reply: Because we dwell in a strange land And remember a lost sky. We ask no leaf of the laurel, We know what fame is worth; But our songs break out of our winter As the flowers break out on the earth. And we dream […]

Fashion on fashion on fashion, (With only the truth growing old!) And here’s the new purple of passion, (And love waiting out in the cold) Who’ll buy? They are crying new lamps for Aladdin, New worlds for the old and the true; And no one remembers the story The magic was not in the new. […]

1913 PERSONS OF THE PLAY RADA, wife of the village doctor. SUBKA, her daughter, aged twelve. ARRAM } two hostile soldiers quartered MICHAEL } in her house, in time of war. NANKO, a half-witted schoolmaster. Several soldiers. THE SCENE is in the Balkans, in a village which has just been taken by the enemy, on […]

The Temple Bell was out of tune, That once out-melodied sun and moon. Instead of calling folk to prayer It spread an evil in the air. Instead of a song, from north to south, It put a lie in the wind’s mouth. The very palms beneath it died, So harsh it jarred, so loud it […]

Give me the pulse of the tide again And the slow lapse of the leaves, The rustling gold of a field of grain And a bird in the nested eaves; And a fishing-smack in the old harbour Where all was happy and young; And an echo or two of the songs I knew When songs […]

It is not over yet-the fight Where those immortal dreamers failed. They stormed the citadels of night And the night praised them–and prevailed. So long ago the cause was lost We scarce distinguish friend from foe; But–if the dead can help it most– The armies of the dead will grow. The world has all our […]

There’s a barrel-organ caroling across a golden street, In the City as the sun sinks low; And the music’s not immortal; but the world has made it sweet And fulfilled it with the sunset glow; And it pulses through the pleasures of the City and the pain That surround the singing organ like a large […]

1 The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding– Riding–riding– The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. 2 He’d a French cocked-hat on his […]

I. Steadfast as any soldier of the line He served his England, with the imminent death Poised at his heart. Nor could the world divine The constant peril of each burdened breath. England, and the honour of England, he still served Walking the strict path, with the old high pride Of those invincible knights who […]

This is the song of the wind as it came Tossing the flags of the nations to flame: I am the breath of God. I am His laughter. I am His Liberty. That is my name. So it descended, at night, on the city. So it went lavishing beauty and pity, Lighting the lordliest street […]

(1916) I. I found a dreadful acre of the dead, Marked with the only sign on earth that saves. The wings of death were hurrying overhead, The loose earth shook on those unquiet graves; For the deep gun-pits, with quick stabs of flame, Made their own thunders of the sunlit air; Yet, as I read […]

(Written after the British Service at Trinity Church, New York) I. Before those golden altar-lights we stood, Each one of us remembering his own dead. A more than earthly beauty seemed to brood On that hushed throng, and bless each bending head. Beautiful on that gold, the deep-sea blue Of those young seamen, ranked on […]

(1912) (Written after entering New York Harbor at Daybreak) Up the vast harbor with the morning sun The ship swept in from sea; Gigantic towers arose, the night was done, And–there stood Liberty. Silent, the great torch lifted in one hand, The dawn in her proud eyes, Silent, for all the shouts that vex her […]