History & Politics

Occasioned by the Battle of Waterloo: The Bard--Whose Soul Is Meek as Dawning Day

by William Wordsworth 1770–1850

From Poetical Works, ed. Knight (1896), vol. VI

History & Politics

The Bard--whose soul is meek as dawning day,
Yet trained to judgments righteously severe,
Fervid, yet conversànt with holy fear,
As recognising one Almighty sway:
He--whose experienced eye can pierce the array
Of past events; to whom, in vision clear,
The aspiring heads of future things appear,
Like mountain-tops whose mists have rolled away--
Assoiled from all encumbrance of our time,
He only, if such breathe, in strains devout
Shall comprehend this victory sublime;
Shall worthily rehearse the hideous rout,
The triumph hail, which from their peaceful clime
Angels might welcome with a choral shout!

MLA

Wordsworth, William. “Occasioned by the Battle of Waterloo: The Bard--Whose Soul Is Meek as Dawning Day.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wordsworth/304/.

Chicago

Wordsworth, William. “Occasioned by the Battle of Waterloo: The Bard--Whose Soul Is Meek as Dawning Day.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wordsworth/304/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by William Wordsworth