When the Irish Flag Went By
Henry Lawson 1867 (Grenfell) – 1922 (Sydney)
’Twas Eight-Hour Day, and proudly
Old Labour led the way;
The drums were bearing loudly,
The crowded streets were gay;
But something touched my heart like pain,
I could not check the sigh
That rose within my bosom when
The Irish Flag went by.
Bright flags were raised about it
And one of them my own:
And patriots trod beneath it—
But it seemed all alone.
I thought of ruined Ireland
While crystals from the sky
Fell soft like tears by angels shed,
As the Irish Flag went by.
I love the dark green standard
As Irish patriots do;
It waves above the rebels,
And I’m a rebel too,
I thought of Ireland’s darkest years,
Her griefs that follow fast;
For drooping as ’twere drenched with tears
The Irish Flag went past.
And though ’twas not in Erin
That my forefathers trod;
And though my wandering footsteps
Ne’er pressed the “dear old sod”,
I felt the wrongs the Irish feel
Beneath the northern sky.
And felt the rebel in my heart
When the Irish Flag went by.
I tell you, men of England,
Who rule the land by might;
I tell you, Irish traitors
Who sell the sons of light,
The tyranny shall fail at last,
That changeful days are nigh;
And you shall dip your red flag yet,
When the Irish Flag goes by.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:08 min read
- 127 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABXCXC DEDEFCXC XGXGXHXH XIXIXCXC FJXJHCXC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,180 |
Words | 227 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
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"When the Irish Flag Went By" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/18182/when-the-irish-flag-went-by>.
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