Religion

Richard I

by William Wordsworth 1770–1850

From Ecclesiastical Sonnets

Religion

Redoubted King, of courage leonine,
I mark thee, Richard! urgent to equip
Thy warlike person with the staff and scrip;
I watch thee sailing o'er the midland brine;
In conquered Cyprus see thy Bride decline
Her blushing cheek, love-vows upon her lip,
And see love-emblems streaming from thy ship,
As thence she holds her way to Palestine.
My Song, a fearless homager, would attend
Thy thundering battle-axe as it cleaves the press
Of war, but duty summons her away
To tell--how, finding in the rash distress
Of those Enthusiasts a subservient friend,
To giddier heights hath clomb the Papal sway.

MLA

Wordsworth, William. “Richard I.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wordsworth/462/.

Chicago

Wordsworth, William. “Richard I.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wordsworth/462/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by William Wordsworth