Poetry of Akenside

Mark Akenside
born 1721, died 1770

Inscription for a Column at Runnemede

Thou, who the verdant plain dost traverse here,
While Thames among his willows from thy view
Retires, O stranger, stay thee,and the scene
Around comtemplate well. This is the place
Where England's ancient Barons, clad in arms
And stern with conquest, from their tyrant king
(Then render'd tame) did challenge and secure
The charter of thy freedom. Pass not on
Till thou hast blest their memory, and paid
Those thanks which God appointed the reward
Of public virtue. And if chance thy home
Salute thee with a father's honour'd name,
Go, call thy sons; instruct them what a dept
They owe their ancestors; and make them swear
To pay it, by transmitting down entire
Those sacred rights to which themselves were born.

>> Mark Akenside

other poetry sites (german language): Liebesgedichte

poetry-love-poems.com is a poetry project to make a poetry collection avaliable on the internet to enable our users to read the poems online. The poetry, classical poem, love poems, etc. are taken from old, antiquarian books and are in parts added with further informations.