Sonnets of the Empire: Australia 1905



Careless she lies along the Southern Main,
The lovely maiden, wanton with the spell
Of sun and vastness and the ocean swell:
Northward the great gnomes watch her beauty, fain
To snatch her wealth of gold and fleece and grain,
And bend her being to their purpose fell:
But she lies lazy, and the passing bell
Of older glory stirs her sense in vain.

Nor shall she wake and know her danger near
Till some high heart and true, her fated lord,
Shall kiss her lips, and all her will control,
And fill her wayward heart with holy fear,
And cross her forehead with his iron sword,
And bring her strength, and armour, and a soul.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
129

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA CDECDE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 628
Words 118
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Archibald Thomas Strong

Sir Archibald Thomas Strong was an Australian scholar and poet.  more…

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    "Sonnets of the Empire: Australia 1905" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/3779/sonnets-of-the-empire:-australia-1905>.

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