Poetry of the People (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Poetry of the People<br><br>A Ballad of Heroes<br><br>Because you passed, and now are not, -<br>Because, in some remoter day,<br>Your sacred dust from doubtful spot<br>Was blown of ancient airs away, -<br>Because you perished, - must men say<br>Your deeds were naught, and so profane<br>Your lives with that cold burden! Nay,<br>The deeds you wrought are not in vain!<br><br>Though it may be, above the plot<br>That hid your once imperial clay,<br>No greener than o'er men forgot<br>The unregarding grasses sway; -<br>Though there no sweeter is the lay<br>Of careless bird, - though you remain<br>Without distinction of decay, -<br>The deeds you wrought are not in vain!<br><br>No. For while yet in tower or cot<br>Your story stirs the pulses' play;<br>And men forget the sordid lot -<br>The sordid care, of cities gray; -<br>While yet, be-set in homelier fray,<br>They learn from you the lesson plain<br>That Life may go, so Honor stay, -<br>The deeds you wrought are not in vain!<br><br>Envoy<br><br>Heroes of old! I humbly lay<br>The laurel on your graves again;<br>Whatever men have done, men may, -<br>The deeds you wrought are not in vain.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.