MARCO BOZZARIS HALLECK FITZ-GREENE HALLECK (1790-1867) was an American poet. His beautiful lines to the memory of Burns won high praise from William Cullen Bryant. NOTE. The heroic Greek chief, Marco Bozzaris, fell in an attack upon the Turkish camp at Laspi in 1823. He died at the moment of victory, 5 and his last words were, "To die for liberty is a pleasure and not a pain." This poem has been called the finest martial lyric in the English language. At midnight, in his guarded tent, The Turk was dreaming of the hour In dreams, through camp and court, he bore In dreams his song of triumph heard; Then pressed that monarch's throne-a king; As Eden's garden bird. At midnight, in the forest shades, True as the steel of their tried blades, 5 There had the Persian thousands stood, And now there breathed that haunted air The sons of sires who conquered there, With arm to strike and soul to dare, 10 An hour passed on the Turk awoke; He woke to hear his sentries shriek, "To arms! they come! the Greek! the Greek!" He woke to die midst flame, and smoke, 5 10 And death shots falling thick and fast As lightnings from the mountain cloud; And heard, with voice as trumpet loud, Bozzaris cheer his band: "Strike till the last armed foe expires, Strike for your altars and your fires, Strike for the green graves of your sires, God- and your native land!" They fought-like brave men, long and well; His few surviving comrades saw His smile when rang their proud hurrah, And the red field was won; Then saw in death his eyelids close Like flowers at set of sun. Come to the bridal chamber, Death! Come to the mother's, when she feels Which close the pestilence are broke, Come in consumption's ghastly form, The earthquake shock, the ocean storm; With banquet song, and dance, and wine, The groan, the knell, the pall, the bier, But to the hero, when his sword The thanks of millions yet to be. Greece nurtured in her glory's time, 20 We tell thy doom without a sigh; That were not born to die. Su'liote band: men from Suli in Albania. Bozzar'is was born at Suli. - Platæa's day: Laspi was on the site of the ancient Platæ'a, where the Persians were defeated, 479 B.C. Mos'lem: followers of Mohammed; Mussulmans. storied brave: heroes celebrated in story. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW (1807-1882) was born at Portland, Maine. He was graduated from Bowdoin (bo'd'n) College, and at the age of twenty-one became professor of modern languages in the same college. Afterwards he held a similar position at Harvard. He is the most widely known of American poets. 5 This is the Arsenal. From floor to ceiling, Ah! what a sound will rise, how wild and dreary, Will mingle with their awful symphonies! 10 |