A poem by Alcaeus of Mytilene (c. 625/620 – c. 580 BC)
What constitutes a State?
Not high-raised battlement, or labored mound,
Thick wall or moated gate;
Not cities fair, with spires and turrets crown’d;
No:–Men, high-minded men,
With powers as far above dull brutes endued
In forest, brake or den,
As beasts excel cold rocks and brambles rude:–
Men who their duties know,
But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain;
Prevent the long-aimed blow,
And crush the tyrant, while they rend the chain.
A few random poems:
- Never Sure Which You Are by Mary Etta Metcalf
- Scots Prologue for Mr. Sutherland by Robert Burns
- The Return of Persephone
- A Prayer For Artemis
- Pheasant by Sylvia Plath
- Владислав Ходасевич – Нет, молодость, ты мне была верна
- Thanatos Basileos poem – Aleister Crowley poems | Poetry Monster
- The Broken Field by Sara Teasdale
- Алишер Навои – Он любить мне запрещает
- Валерий Брюсов – Фламандцам
- Ольга Берггольц – Старая гвардия
- Song—O can ye Labour Lea? by Robert Burns
- Владимир Набоков – Спроси у хрустальной луны
- Анатолий Жигулин – Бросаю в воду хлеб
- Moon, I hear you are moving away by Raj Arumugam
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- Golden Eyes
- From Behind The Lattice
- Feroza
- Feroke
- Fate Knows No Tears
- Farewell
- Fancy
- Famine Song
- Early Love
- Disappointment
- Deserted Gipsys Song Hillside Camp
- Dedication
- Dedication To Malcolm Nicolson
- Camp Followers Song Gomal River
- Back To The Border
- Au Salon
- Atavism
- Ashore
- Among The Sandhills
- Among The Rice Fields
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
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Parallel Translations of Poetry
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Alcaeus of Mytilene ( c. 625/620 – c. 580 Before Christ) ] was a lyric poet from the Greek island of Lesbos who is credited with inventing the Alcaic stanza. He was included in the canonical list of nine lyric poets by the scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria.