On Macaulay’s “Lays of Ancient Rome”
Wyleian Sonnet CCLVII.
At Medbury Preparatory, the school where I was taught,
on a rainy winter afternoon when we could not play sport,
Headmaster, Eric Chennells, would not always send us home
but would seat us in ‘Big School’ and read the “Lays of Ancient Rome”
.
In my inner ear I still can hear his kindly, cultured voice
as he read aloud to a chosen crowd of older sixth-form boys
and we sat enthralled at the tales he told from Macaulay’s poetry
of those heroes bold in the days of old and their feats of bravery.
I wonder how our lads today who try to act so tough,
who race around in souped-up cars, get drunk, smoke pot and stuff,
would act if they’d learned history and how real men behaved
in bygone times when they, at war, great risks and hardships braved.
For them it took no drugs to boost nor bottles from the fridge,
but guts and courage like the time Horatius held the bridge.
Hugh Wyles, June 21st. 2009.
Author notes
I dedicate this sonnet to the memory of Eric J. Chennells ("The Boss"), founder and headmaster of Medbury Preparatory School for boys, with love and gratitude for all that I learned from him.
Then out spake brave Horatius,
the Captain of the Gate;
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh, soon or late,
and how can man die better
then facing fearful odds
for the ashes of his fathers
and the temples of his gods".
"Hew down the bridge Sir Consul,
with all the speed ye may.
I, with two more beside me,
will hold the foe in play.
In yon strait path a thousand
may well be stopped by three.
Now who will stand on either hand
and keep the bridge with me?"
Lord Macaulay, "Lays of Ancient Rome".
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/847/847-8.txt
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Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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My, this is good
An important lesson to be learned is being taught by this poem.
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oh to be in rome
with only a bridge
keeping me from them
the etruscans
simple war
simple times
but to charge the youth
with beguile
absurd
divulge
try to take my street
where i live and breathe
war is nothing more
than slumber
and a quick way to relate -
Oh, what a wonder, to read your tale,
so vividly told that I hear that cultured voice.
How times change, how motivation differs,
how radically different today's choice.
Thank you, again, King Hugh, for sharing
your considerable gift!
M-C
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I love the slight variations in meter that make this an infectious and exciting read. I cannot understand how so much of the love of life has been sucked out of people, and the love of bravery and civilization, and the lack of love for reading, and the understanding of the heroic.Here's some sight characters: PPPPPPPPPPPUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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See that. There you were just enjoying yourself as a kid and what was happening was, you were being taught! Oh horrors for boy, to be told that he is learning! But it did instill in you the love of many things...but mainly of learning I guess.
I had a similar experience when I was 16, but it was classmate Jenny Sanders who showed me out back of the gym her Lays of Modern Maine......
It was quite lovely Hugh.
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A wonderful recollection of your youth and a very spirited message to send out to today's youth as well, one they could certainly benefit from. I was thinking when I was reading it that it was too bad we did not have those poems as well that he was speaking of to go with this poem and then BAM there is one in your author notes... Thank you for that! It is a fine example of what you spoke of in your poem.
It is good to see you posting again and especially great to see you posting something so worthy as to help today's youth see the error of their ways.
I am always appreciative when a poet reaches out to today's youth in such a manner as this.
Hugs, Suzi
P.S. -
Due to recent changes in the site regulations
my review must be a set number of charactors
long in order for you to effectively judge it as you
see fit. I have added this note at the bottom of
my review so that you might be able to now
rate my review according to how you see it and not
as the site has decided it's effectiveness in your eyes.
You shall now be allowed to rate my review anywhere from
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feelings in the slightest. Please have a blessed day! Suzi
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Dear Hugh, it would have been wonderful to have a Headmaster / Headmistress like that to read Macaulay's tales to his students, it would make it so much easier to learn.
It IS a shame the children of today, they wouldn't be destructive like they are now.
The poem in your Authors note is also wonderful to read.
Another great poem, this time from memories of your childhood.
Love Bea
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