What is the boon of "endless quest"? Why is it spoken of
as a gift (boon)? Compare the last line of this poem with the last line
of _The Wild Ride_, on page 161. Perhaps you will be interested to
compare the _Road-Hymn_ with Whitman's _The Song of the Open Road_.
Do the meter and verse-form seem appropriate here? Is anything gained by
the difference in the length of the lines?
ON A SOLDIER FALLEN IN THE PHILIPPINES
WILLIAM VAUGHN MOODY
Streets of the roaring town,
Hush for him, hush, be still!
He comes, who was stricken down
Doing the word of our will.
Hush! Let him have his state,
Give him his soldier's crown.
The grists of trade can wait
Their grinding at the mill,
But he cannot wait for his honor, now the trumpet has been blown;
Wreathe pride now for his granite brow, lay love on his breast
of stone.
Toll! Let the great bells toll
Till the clashing air is dim.
Did we wrong this parted soul?
We will make it up to him.
Toll! Let him never guess
What work we set him to.
Laurel, laurel, yes;
He did what we bade him do.
Praise, and never a whispered hint but the fight he fought was good;
Never a word that the blood on his sword was his country's
own heart's-blood.
A flag for the soldier's bier
Who dies that his land may live;
O, banners, banners here,
That he doubt not nor misgive!
That he heed not from the tomb
The evil days draw near
When the nation, robed in gloom,
With its faithless past shall strive.
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