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Poem
March 15, 1802
Jenks's Portland Gazette
Portland, Cumberland County, Maine
What is this article about?
Elegiac poem mourning George Washington's death on his birthday, February 22, 1802. It laments his virtues, prays for the nation's liberty amid political factions threatening civil war and constitutional erosion.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
Poetry.
From The Anti-Democrat,
ON THE BIRTH DAY OF
GENERAL WASHINGTON.
February 22, 1802.
Slowly strike the solemn sound,
Drop the pearls of sorrow round;
Let the tears of woe be felt;
Let the heart of iron melt.
Maidens, pour the plaintive verse,
Soldiers, now your arms reverse;
Patriots, mourn the Patriot dead;
Sigh, the globe, for virtue fled.
He that guided victory's car,
Spoke to battle where to rave,
Drove the stubborn foe afar,
Skill'd to conquer, kill'd to save.
First in peace, and first in war,
Moulders in the silent grave.
Cease, cease your grief, for he
Who nurtur'd freedom's tree,
Who bade it bud and put forth all its bloom,
--Alas! so soon to die--
Sought his reward on high,
Triumphant o'er his foes, o'er land, o'er the tomb.
Yet, if in Heaven above
He heeds his former love,
And in his country's welfare bliss still finds,
What pangs are his to see
Death to our liberty,
Our constitution ceded to the winds.
Sainted spirit of the skies,
To thee thy fainting country cries,
She pours her tears, she heaves her sighs,
And speeds a prayer;
If ought thy wishes might prevail
And pious prayers shall never fail,
The days of Deity assail
With--Spare, Oh! Spare.
Implore that faction's raging force
Might be diverted from its course.
That civil war, with trumpet hoarse,
We centuries yet in embryo should not know.
O! pray the pray'r to him that guides
The storms and whirlwinds of time's tides,
Shapes a worm's fate, o'er realms presides,
Guides the old orbs above, and spheres below,
Avert the wrath that hangs over th'impending blow.
From The Anti-Democrat,
ON THE BIRTH DAY OF
GENERAL WASHINGTON.
February 22, 1802.
Slowly strike the solemn sound,
Drop the pearls of sorrow round;
Let the tears of woe be felt;
Let the heart of iron melt.
Maidens, pour the plaintive verse,
Soldiers, now your arms reverse;
Patriots, mourn the Patriot dead;
Sigh, the globe, for virtue fled.
He that guided victory's car,
Spoke to battle where to rave,
Drove the stubborn foe afar,
Skill'd to conquer, kill'd to save.
First in peace, and first in war,
Moulders in the silent grave.
Cease, cease your grief, for he
Who nurtur'd freedom's tree,
Who bade it bud and put forth all its bloom,
--Alas! so soon to die--
Sought his reward on high,
Triumphant o'er his foes, o'er land, o'er the tomb.
Yet, if in Heaven above
He heeds his former love,
And in his country's welfare bliss still finds,
What pangs are his to see
Death to our liberty,
Our constitution ceded to the winds.
Sainted spirit of the skies,
To thee thy fainting country cries,
She pours her tears, she heaves her sighs,
And speeds a prayer;
If ought thy wishes might prevail
And pious prayers shall never fail,
The days of Deity assail
With--Spare, Oh! Spare.
Implore that faction's raging force
Might be diverted from its course.
That civil war, with trumpet hoarse,
We centuries yet in embryo should not know.
O! pray the pray'r to him that guides
The storms and whirlwinds of time's tides,
Shapes a worm's fate, o'er realms presides,
Guides the old orbs above, and spheres below,
Avert the wrath that hangs over th'impending blow.
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Liberty Independence
Political
What keywords are associated?
Washington Elegy
Birthday Lament
Liberty Prayer
Political Faction
Patriot Mourning
What entities or persons were involved?
From The Anti Democrat
Poem Details
Title
On The Birth Day Of General Washington.
Author
From The Anti Democrat
Subject
February 22, 1802
Key Lines
First In Peace, And First In War,
Moulders In The Silent Grave.
Sainted Spirit Of The Skies,
To Thee Thy Fainting Country Cries,