Classic Poem

He stands there in his glory
Exalted to the view,
A hero in a story,—
The story, though, was true—
A man obeyed and idolized
And hated, yet we can
But say: from spur to helmet
A man.

Moustaches grimly curling
He stands there stern of mood,
His fierce lips might be hurling
Forth “iron” now or “blood.”
The frown that gathers on his brow
Shows well what he is like,
The fist is clenched and ready
To strike.

'T was whispered in a fable
That holds perhaps a grain
Of truth, that France was Abel
And he to France was Cain.
And all mankind lamented for
Their darling son that fell,
And heaven still re-echoes
His knell.

When rolled the drums of battle
In valleys by Sedan,
And cliffs returned the rattle
Of “rataplan-aplan,”
Parisian, Gascon, Zouave then,
And Algerine so brown
Fell as if scythes were mowing
Them down.

'T is said that, as they rode there
Caftan by coat of red
And, smitten down, were strowed there
Beneath the hail of lead,
The Prussian king himself shed tears,
He could not watch them so.
“Mercy!” he cried, but Bismarck
Said, “No!”

Of those that charged so boldly
No squadron fled or broke,

But lonely hearths burned coldly
In France for that one stroke.
Then languished a Napoleon
Within a Prussian cage,
Then fell the lofty hopes of
An age.

Ay, this was not a fable,
The truth to all is plain
That France indeed was Abel
And he to France was Cain.
But Cain went not apart to shun
God's wrathful countenance,
He roughly raised to heaven
His glance.

He said with harsh defiance:
“In blood my meaning's writ,—
The German States' alliance
You French would fain have split.
See crushed before Arminius
Low lies a Roman troop!—
Our pedestal is founded
By Krupp.”

He stands there in his glory
With sword prepared for strife,
This ruthless man of story
In days of gentler life;
A man obeyed and idolized
And hated, yet we can
But say: from spur to helmet
A man.

Despite all Christian preaching
Of virtues more sublime,
Despite the kindlier teaching
Of this our kindlier time,
The ancient race of giants lasts
Down to the present date,
Is honored still with statues