Under Which King . . . ?

The fight I loved - the good old fight -
Was clear as day 'twixt Might and Right;
Satrap and slave on either hand,
Tiller and tyrant of the land;
One delved the earth the other trod,
The writhing worm, the thundering god.
Lords of an earth they deemed their own,
The tyrants laughed from throne to throne,
Scattered the gold and spilled the wine,
And deemed their foolish dust divine;
While, 'neath their heel, sublimely strove
The martyred hosts of Human Love.

Such was the fight I dreamed of old
'Twixt Labour and the Lords of Gold;
I deemed all evil in the king,
In Demos every lovely thing.
But now I see the battle set -
Albeit the same old banners yet -
With no clear issue to decide,
With Right and Might on either side;
Yet small the rumour is of Right -
But the bared arms of Might and Might
Brandish across the hate-filled lands,
With blood alike on both their hands.

Richard Le Gallienne

Richard Le Gallienne was an English author and poet born on January 20, 1866. Known for his lyrical poetry, he was a key figure in the literary circles of the fin de siècle. He contributed to the literary magazine 'The Yellow Book' and was involved with the Rhymers' Club, an influential group of London-based poets. His works often explored themes of beauty, love, and nature. His influence extended to both sides of the Atlantic, and he spent the latter part of his life in the United States, where he continued to write until his death on September 15, 1947.

Richard Le Gallienne

Beauty's Wardrobe

Richard Le Gallienne, Simple Poetry

Hesperides

Richard Le Gallienne, Simple Poetry

For A Picture By Rose Cecil O'Neil

Richard Le Gallienne, Simple Poetry

The Desk's Dry Wood

Richard Le Gallienne, Simple Poetry

English

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