Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Greece and Turkey in Europe: Vol. XIX. 1876–79. | | | | Greece: Corinth | | Corinth | | William Wordsworth (1770–1850) |
| | On a Celebrated Event in Ancient History
A ROMAN master stands on Grecian ground, | |
| And to the concourse of the Isthmian games | |
| He, by his herald’s voice, aloud proclaims | |
| “The liberty of Greece”; the words rebound | |
| Until all voices in one voice are drowned; | 5 |
| Glad acclamation by which air was rent! | |
| And birds, high flying in the element, | |
| Dropped to the earth, astonished at the sound! | |
| A melancholy echo of that noise | |
| Doth sometimes hang on musing Fancy’s ear; | 10 |
| Ah! that a conqueror’s words should be so dear; | |
| Ah! that a boon should shed such rapturous joys! | |
| A gift of that which is not to be given | |
| By all the blended powers of earth and heaven. | | | | |
|
|
