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Poems Every Child Should Know

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<h3>The Lye.</h3> <div class="pre_poem">"The Lye," by Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), is one of the strongest and most appealing poems a teacher can read to her pupils when teaching early American history. The poem is full of magnificent lines, such as "Go, soul, the body's guest." The poem never lacks an attentive audience of young people when correlated with the study of North Carolina and Sir Walter Raleigh. The solitary, majestic character of Sir Walter Raleigh, his intrepidity while undergoing tortures inflicted by a cowardly king, the ring of indignation—- all these make a weapon for him stronger than the ax that beheaded him. In this poem he "has the last word." </div> <table class="poem" summary="poem"><tr><td><div class="stanza"> Goe, soule, the bodie's guest, Upon a thanklesse arrant; Feare not to touche the best— The truth shall be thy warrant! Goe, since I needs must dye, And give the world the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Goe tell the court it glowes And shines like rotten wood; Goe tell the church it showes What's good, and doth no good; If church and court reply, Then give them both the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell potentates they live Acting by others' actions— Not loved unlesse they give, Not strong but by their factions; If potentates reply, Give potentates the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell men of high condition, That rule affairs of state, Their purpose is ambition, Their practice only hate; And if they once reply, Then give them all the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell zeale it lacks devotion; Tell love it is but lust; Tell time it is but motion; Tell flesh it is but dust; And wish them not reply, For thou must give the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell wit how much it wrangles In tickle points of nicenesse; Tell wisdome she entangles Herselfe in over-wisenesse; And if they do reply, Straight give them both the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell physicke of her boldnesse; Tell skill it is pretension; Tell charity of coldnesse; Tell law it is contention; And as they yield reply, So give them still the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell fortune of her blindnesse; Tell nature of decay; Tell friendship of unkindnesse; Tell justice of delay; And if they dare reply, Then give them all the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> Tell arts they have no soundnesse, But vary by esteeming; Tell schooles they want profoundnesse, And stand too much on seeming; If arts and schooles reply, Give arts and schooles the lye. </div> <div class="stanza"> So, when thou hast, as I Commanded thee, done blabbing— Although to give the lye Deserves no less than stabbing— Yet stab at thee who will, No stab the soule can kill. </div> </td></tr></table> Sir Walter Raleigh. <h3>L'Envoi.</h3> <div class="pre_poem">"L'Envoi," by Rudyard Kipling, is a favourite on account of its sweeping assertion of the individual's right to self-development. </div> <table class="poem" summary="poem"><tr><td><div class="stanza"> When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried, When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died, We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it—lie down for an æon or two, Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall set us to work anew! </div> <div class="stanza"> And those who were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair; They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet's hair; They shall find real saints to draw from—Magdalene, Peter, and Paul; They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all! </div> <div class="stanza"> And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame; And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame; But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star, Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are! </div> </td></tr></table> Rudyard Kipling <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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