Arma Virumque
Ambrose Bierce 1842 (Meigs County) – 1914 (Chihuahua)
'Ours is a Christian Army'; so he said
A regiment of bangomen who led.
'And ours a Christian Navy,' added he
Who sailed a thunder-junk upon the sea.
Better they know than men unwarlike do
What is an army and a navy, too.
Pray God there may be sent them by-and-by
The knowledge what a Christian is, and why.
For somewhat lamely the conception runs
Of a brass-buttoned Jesus firing guns.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 22, 2023
- 21 sec read
- 412 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABBCCDDEE |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 384 |
Words | 74 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 10 |
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"Arma Virumque" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/1713/arma-virumque>.
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