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Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)
Since I brought up Hilaire Belloc, thought I might share one my favourites of his poems. Apparently, it was set to music.
Book Review: A Moral Alphabet by Hilaire Belloc
While I wait for some better football games than the SEC matchups that are currently being served up, I perused Project Gutenberg for something to read (as if I don’t have enough books sitting around my home), and decided upon Hilaire Belloc’s A Moral Alphabet. I was first exposed to Belloc in high school, when I read his The Servile State, which is probably worth a re-read. His Moral Alphabet is a verse composition in the vein of your typical children’s alphabet with a “moral” for each letter; however, do not be deceived as Belloc’s Reviewer (pictured above) for Belloc is commenting on, and poking fun at, society’s morals.
Last year, I posted a stanza from one of my favourite poems (‘Columbia’ by Timothy Dwight) that - to me - summarizes how I feel this time each year; this year I am gonna post another stanza:
Columbia, Columbia, to glory rise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies!
Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold,
While ages on ages thy splendours unfold.
Thy reign is the last, and the noblest of time,
Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime.
Let the crimes of the east ne’er encrimson thy name,
Be freedom, and science, and virtue, thy fame.
You can read the entire poem here.
It’s been a good Independence Day - even without fireworks. Started out in Fredericksburg, drove to Luckenbach, and ended the day in San Antonio. Pics will be posted tomorrow.
To end the night, here is the last stanza of one of my favourite poems: Columbia by Timothy Dwight:
Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o’erspread,
From war’s dread confusion I pensively stray’d-
The gloom from the face of fair heav’n retir’d;
The winds ceas’d to murmur; the thunders expir’d;
Perfumes, as of Eden, flow’d sweetly along,
And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung:
“Columbia, Columbia, to glory rise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies.”
You can read the entire poem here. Better than the Star Spangled Banner, et al, etc. in my humble opinion (go ahead and hate; I don’t care).
(I’ve always enjoyed this poem).
Columbia, Columbia, to glory rise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies!
Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold,
While ages on ages thy splendours unfold.
Thy reign is the last, and the noblest of time,
Most fruitful they soil, most inviting thy clime.
Let the crimes of the east ne’er encrimson thy name,
Be freedom, and science, and virtue, thy fame.
To conquest, and slaughter, let Europe aspire,
Whelm nations in blood, and wrap cities in fire.
Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend,
And triumph pursue them, and glory attend.
A world is thy realm: for a world be thy laws,
Enlarg’d as thine empire, and just as thy cause;
On Freedom’s broad basis, that empire shall rise,
Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies.
Fair Science her gates to thy sons shall unbar,
And the east see thy morn hide the beams of her star.
New bards, and new sages, unrival’d shall soar
To fame, unextinguish’d, when time is no more;
To thee, the last refuge of virtue design’d,
Shall fly from all nations the best of mankind;
Here, grateful to heaven, with transport shall bring
Their incense, more fragrant than odours of spring.
Nor less shall thy fair ones to glory ascend,
And Genius and Beauty in harmony blend;
The graces of form shall awake pure desire;
And the charms of the soul ever cherish the fire;
Their sweetness unmingled, their manners refin’d,
And Virtue’s bright image, instamp’d on the mind,
With peace, and soft rapture, shall teach life to glow,
And light up a smile in the aspect of woe.
Thy fleets to all nations thy pow’r shall display,
The nations admire, and the ocean obey;
Each shore to thy glory its tribute unfold,
And the east and the south yield their spices and gold.
As the day-spring unbounded, thy splendour shall flow,
And earth’s little kingdoms before thee shall bow;
While the ensigns of union, in triumph unfurl’d,
Hush the tumult of war, and give peace to the world.
Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o’erspread,
From war’s dread confusion I pensively stray’d-
The gloom from the face of fair heav’n retir’d;
The winds ceas’d to murmur; the thunders expir’d;
Perfumes, as of Eden, flow’d sweetly along,
And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung:
“Columbia, Columbia, to glory rise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies.”
Random thoughts on eclectic subjects from a political junkie, moviephile, avid reader, Dr. Pepper addict in Austin, TX.
