Analysis of Filipinos, Remember Us

Edgar Lee Masters 1868 (Garnett) – 1950 (Elkins Park)



You, if it fall to you to take
From us the lamp that Athens gave,
Fill it with mercy for our sake,
And light us gently to the grave.

The Goth and Vandal rendered not
For evil good --but all in vain
Have we, your victors, prayed and taught
If through you freedom bleeds again.

Bound home, but blown across the sea
In earth that clings about his feet,
The whinchat bears the seedling tree,
And plants the sterile lands with wheat.

But we --we shipped with slime for freight,
Unknown to us what in it grew;
And brought untoward to our hate
The germ of Liberty to you.

When you have armed and joined the East
To swell the Peril which affrights
Our bloody conscience at the feast,
Where Fate the ancient curse re-writes;

When the White Peril, slumber bound,
Gorged full, the sport of bottle flies,
Awakes to find you on his ground
Puissant, cynical and wise;

Kicking his childish lies and frauds
'Round infamy's quiescent yard;
And raking from the wall the gawds
Despite the dull and drunken guard;

Or battering down the entrance door
Long shut, while yours was opened wide,
To forage in our golden store,
Our rich possessions to divide;

To us it were but poor amends
Our sons with hatred to entreat;
Remember us, who were your friends
Right in the battle's blood and heat.

For our sakes, centuries sunk in sleep,
Who strove to stave the certain doom,
Our brothers' sons forgive, and keep
The flower of Liberty in bloom.

Move not in blindness, as of old
The unconscious Hun devoured the land;
You must, with history's page unrolled,
Be god-like in your great command.

Yes, if it fall to you to take
From us the lamp that Athens gave,
Fill it with gladness for our sake,
Restore the weak and free the slave:

Fill every place of waste with love,
And every land of woe with light,
Till Peace, the pentecostal dove,
Descend and consecrate your might


Scheme aBab cxxx dede fgfg hdhx ijij xkdk lmlm ncne opop xqcq aBab rsrs
Poetic Form Quatrain  (92%)
Metre 11111111 11011101 111101101 01110101 01010101 11011101 11110101 11110101 11110101 01110111 0110101 01010111 11111111 01111011 010011101 01110011 11110101 1101011 101010101 11010111 10110101 11011101 1111111 110001 10110101 110101 01010101 01010101 110010101 11111101 110010101 101010101 11101101 10111011 01011011 10010101 1101100101 11110101 101010101 010110001 11010111 010101001 11110011 11101101 11111111 11011101 11111101 01010101 110011111 010011111 1100101 0101011
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,848
Words 338
Sentences 8
Stanzas 13
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 52
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 111
Words per stanza (avg) 26
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:42 min read
111

Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. more…

All Edgar Lee Masters poems | Edgar Lee Masters Books

2 fans

Discuss this Edgar Lee Masters poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Filipinos, Remember Us" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/8572/filipinos%2C-remember-us>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    16
    hours
    29
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "Ozymandias"?
    A Rainer Maria Rilke
    B Percy Bysshe Shelley
    C Rudyard Kipling
    D William Wordsworth