When Banners Are Waving Here are poems of Valor, Fortitude, Fearlessness, Courage. Give yourself up to the martial swing of the verse, with its clang of armor, its champing of war-steed, its sound of pibroch, its blare of trumpet, fife, and drum, its dancing of plumes and glitter of helmets. Pray Heaven that the fighting be all in a good cause and that the tramp, tramp of soldierly feet be that of the armies of Right, for there is no resisting this spirit of daring and bearing when it is voiced so nobly. "When cannon are roaring, He that would honor win Here are hymns in praise of famous battles that have changed the fate of nations; here, records of gallant deeds that make the blood leap in the veins. Into the Valley of Death rode the immortal Six Hundred, and into that same Valley plunged “furious Frank and fiery Hun," Scot, Turk, Greek, and the brave Huguenot charging at Ivry for the Golden Lilies of France. Here are the songs of triumph, the loud hurrahs when the red field is won; here tales of glorious defeats and no less splendid failures; here, too, the dirge for the storied Brave, who lie at rest by all their Country's wishes blest. The banners that once beckoned on the armed hosts are hanging to-day in dim cathedrals, tattered, faded, and torn; high-hung banners that with every “opened door seem the old wave of battle to remember." And as for the heroes who carried them, can we not say, as of Marco Bozzaris, 66 For ye are Freedom's now, and Fame's, XIV WHEN BANNERS ARE WAVING When Banners Are Waving WHEN banners are waving, When cannon are roaring, Though shafts fly so thick That it seems to be snowing; More than water are flowing; Come, stand to it, heroes! |