Flag Song

Frank Samuel Williamson 1865 (Fitzroy, Victoria) – 1936 (Melbourne )



Dear flag! Old flag! O, the blue and white,
Floating in the years long gone,
How our pulses beat,
Mocking at defeat,
Following the standard on.

Proud flag, New flag, purple and the gold
Shouting past the legions go,
Carried onward fleet
Knowing no retreat,
Flouting at the winds that blow.

Old flag, New flag, colours of the sky
Gleaming as the seasons roll,
Morning's blue attire,
Sunset's purple fire,
Golden braid on eve's dark stole.

Clear voice, young voice, ringing through the school,
Fluting in the sweet time flown,
Youth so debonair,
May not linger there,
Youngsters are to grey men grown.

Old school, kind school, fostering the weak,
Never brighter days have shone,
Boys from evil stayed,
Gallant men are made,
Following the Standard on.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
112

Quick analysis:

Scheme xxaaB xcaac xdeed xfggf xfhhB
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 732
Words 129
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Frank Samuel Williamson

Francis Samuel Williamson (18 January 1865 – 6 February 1936) was an Australian poet who was published under the name Frank S. Williamson. Williamson moved to Sydney in 1894 to join Arthur Lucas's staff at Newington College. While at Newington he wrote the words for the school song, Dear Newingtonia. In 1902 he returned to Wesley to teach, to coach rowing and cricket and to serve as an officer of cadets. In 1904 he was dismissed for drunkenness. The rest of Williamson's teaching career was spent as a locum in the Victorian Department of Education. He was a temporary head teacher in fifty-four rural schools between 1905 and 1930. As a young man Williamson had written verse of small merit, but in middle life for a short period he appears to have been inspired by the scenery of his native country to do better work which he polished with great care. With Bernard O'Dowd he belonged to a discussion group called The Heretics.  more…

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