Home
Fictions/Novels
Short Stories
Poems
Essays
Plays
Nonfictions
 
Authors
All Titles
 






In Association with Amazon.com

Home > Authors Index > Browse all available works of Thomas Hardy > Text of Embarcation

A poem by Thomas Hardy

Embarcation

________________________________________________
Title:     Embarcation
Author: Thomas Hardy [More Titles by Hardy]

(Southampton Docks: October, 1899)

 

Here, where Vespasian's legions struck the sands,
And Cerdic with his Saxons entered in,
And Henry's army leapt afloat to win
Convincing triumphs over neighbour lands,

Vaster battalions press for further strands,
To argue in the self-same bloody mode
Which this late age of thought, and pact, and code,
Still fails to mend.--Now deckward tramp the bands,
Yellow as autumn leaves, alive as spring;
And as each host draws out upon the sea
Beyond which lies the tragical To-be,
None dubious of the cause, none murmuring,

Wives, sisters, parents, wave white hands and smile,
As if they knew not that they weep the while.


[The end]
Thomas Hardy's poem: Embarcation

________________________________________________



GO TO TOP OF SCREEN