Section: «Poems»
Verse (ancient Greek ὁ στίχος — row, structure), a term in versification used in several meanings:
artistic speech organized by division into rhythmically commensurate segments; poetry in the narrow sense; in particular, it implies the properties of versification of a particular tradition ("antique verse", "Akhmatova's verse", etc.);
a line of poetic text organized according to a certain rhythmic pattern ("My uncle of the most honest rules").
The Falmouth Bell
Never was there lovelier townThan our Falmouth by the sea.Tender curves of sky look downOn her grace of knoll and lea.Sweet her nestled Mayflower..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Horses
'Thus far 80,000 horses have been shipped from the United States to the European belligerents.'WHAT was our share in the sinning,That we must share..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Only Mules
'The submarine was quite within its rights in sinking the cargo of the Armenian,—1,422 mules valued at $191,400.'No matter; we are only mulesAnd slow..
© Katharine Lee Bates
New Roads
FAR road for words that rush,Arrowing space,Swifter than meteors flushStar-road in race.Wireless! Tireless, leaping the wave!Roger Bacon laughs in..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Mist
ON the mountain side they fashion,Those rifting shreds of storm,A figure of strange passion,A winged and sworded form.Majestic, wild, colossal,With..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Our First War-Christmas
HARD to wait for the postman's trampUp the snowy walk, for the hand that gropesDeep in his pack, while the children teaseFor the rainbow-ribboned..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Russia
WHAT sudden voice peals to the Caucasus,To Finland and the bitter Caspian,To those Siberian prisons whither manShall seek as to a shrine, that..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Spain
Across New England snowsFlash visions from afar,Lithe gipsies on their toesDancing to gay guitar;With gesture fierce, bizarre,They lilt some old..
© Katharine Lee Bates
To Heavy Hearts
HEAVY hearts, your jubileeDroops about the Christmas Tree.Sudden sighs cut off the laughter,For a haunting pain comes afterAll your gallant glee,—..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Three Steps
THREE steps there are our human life must climb.The first is Force.The savage struggled to it from the slimeAnd still it is our last, ashamed..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Morning Paper
Carnage!Humanity disgraced!Time's dearest toil effaced!Poison gases and flamePutting Nero to shame!Bayonet, bomb and shell!Merry reading for hell!The..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Lighthouse
IN seas far north, day after dayWe leaned upon the rail, engrossedIn frolic fin and jewel sprayAnd crystal headlands of the coast.Those beauties held..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Titanic
As she sped from dawn to gloaming, a palace upon the sea,Did the waves from her proud bows foaming whisper what port should be?That her maiden voyage..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Pity Of It
I. In South AfricaOver the lonesome African plainThe stars look down, like eyes of the slain.A bumping ride across gullies and ruts,Now a grumble and..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Creed Of The Wood
A WHIFF of forest scent,Balsam and fern,Won from dreary moodMy heart's return,From its discontent,Joy's run-away,To the sweet, wise woodAnd the..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Shakespeare's Festival
WHILE we keep our Poet's Tercentennial,Every school and city with its emulousAntic or solemnity, what tremulousLaughter on the air! O Puck..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Starlight At Sea
OVER the murmurous choral of dim wavesThe constellations glow against the softEthereal dusk, —forever fair, aloft,Serene, while man climbs painfully..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The German-American
HONOR to him whose very blood remembersThe old, enchanted dream-song of the Rhine,Although his house of life. is fair with shineOf fires new-kindled..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The New Crusade
LIFE is a trifle;Honor is all;Shoulder the rifle;Answer the call.'A nation of traders'!We'll show what we are,Freedom's crusadersWho war against..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Perfect Day
GOD made a day of blue and gold,Sweet as a violet,As merry as a marigold;It may be shining yetIn some blest vale, some dreamy dellAmong the heavenly..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Our First Families
SWEET are the manners of the wood,Our only old society,Where all the folk are glad and goodIn unrebuked variety.Within this gentle commonwealNo envy..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Northward
THESE palms weave shadows of delight,But the truant heart flies forthTo birch-boles glistening more than whiteIn the forests of the North.
© Katharine Lee Bates
The First Bluebirds
THE poor earth was so winter-marred,Harried by storm so long,It seemed no spring could mend her,No tardy sunshine renderAtonement for such wrong.Snow..
© Katharine Lee Bates
The Death Of Olaf Tryggvision
IBLUE as blossom of the myrtleSmiled the steadfast eyes of OlafOn the host of ships that harriedHis enraged, gold-glittering Dragon,Snared within..
© Katharine Lee Bates
Wings
GRAY gulls that wheeled and dipped and roseWhere tossing crests like Alpine snowsWould shimmer and entice;A stormy petrel, Judas soul,Dark wanderer..
© Katharine Lee Bates