Category: Robert Laurence Binyon

Whitechapel High Road Lusty life her river pours Along a road of shining shores. The moon of August beams Mild as upon her harvest slopes;…

To Elsie Fogerty On living lips to mould and modulate The shapes of sound, that each may mirror true The mystery of the word and…

The Storm Stooping over London, skies convulsed With thunder moved: a rumour of storm remote Hushed them, and birds flew troubled. The gradual clouds Up…

The Lamp Of Greece Truth incorruptible lives on, though sight Cloud, and the heart flinch, and the mind askance Reject. Because she sought that radiance,…

The Crusader Effigy mailed and mighty beneath thy mail That liest asleep with hand upon carved sword–hilt As ready to waken and strong to stand…

Sudden Joy O what magic shall compare Of the fresh earth or bright air To the joy that love around My full heart so swift…

Psyche She is not fair, as some are fair, Cold as the snow, as sunshine gay: On her clear brow, come grief what may, She…

Nightfall Sweet after labour, soft and whispering night Blows on dark fields and fragrant country here: Here there is sleep, to weary limbs delight; The…

Louvain 19 ii But from that blood, those ashes there arose Not hoped-for terror cowering as it ran, But divine anger flaming upon those Defamers…

High Over The Battling Street High over the battling street I watch the wind blow In frenzy tearing the plane trees That are tossing below….

England Shall we but turn from braggart pride Our race to cheapen and defame? Before the world to wail, to chide, And weakness as with…

August In drooping leaves of the plane Hangs blue the early heat; Stirless, a delicate shade Sleeps on the parching street. I wander this listless…

A Prayer Of Time Move onward, Time, and bring us sooner free From this self–clouding turmoil where we ply On others’ errands driven continually: O…

Violets Violets, in what pleasant earth you grew I know not, nor what heavenly moisture stole To tincture in your petals such dim blue As…

The Wharf On Thames—side; Winter Dawn Day begins cold and misty on soiled snow That frost has ridged and crusted. Sound of steps Comes, then…

The Reformer Hyde Park August from a vault of hollow brass Steep upon the sullen city glares. Yellower burns the sick and parching grass, Shivering…

The Forest Pine A hundred autumns fallen in fire To dust and mould Have faded from their perished gold To throne thee higher, O Titan…

The Burning Of The Leaves I Now is the time for the burning of the leaves. They go to the fire; the nostril pricks with…

Songs Of The World Unborn Songs of the world unborn Swelling within me, a shoot from the heart of Spring, As I walk the ample…

Oxford In War—time What alters you, familiar lawn and tower, Arched alley, and garden green to the gray wall With crumbling crevice and the old…

Milton An Ode Soul of England, dost thou sleep, Lulled or dulled, thy mighty youth forgotten? Of the world’s wine hast thou drunk too deep?…

Inheritance I To a bare blue hill Wings an old thought roaming, At a random touch Of memory homing. The first of England These eyes…

From The Chinese A flower, or the ghost of a flower! Mist, or the soul of it, felt In the secret night’s mid hour, Lost…

Day’s End When I am weary, thronged with the cares of the vain day That tease as harsh winds tease the unresting autumn boughs, I…

An Old Answer Ask me not, Dear, what thing it is That makes me love you so; What graces, what sweet qualities, That from your…

A Day That Is Boundless As Youth A day that is boundless as youth And gay with delight to be born, Where the waves flash…

To Women 27 Amid the thunder of the guns, The lightnings of the lance and sword Your hope, your dread, your throbbing pride, Your infinite…

The Trembling Tree On greenest grass the lace of lights Beneath the shadowing tree Trembles, as when eyes more than lips Are smiling silently. Its…

The Oak Splendours of sunset burned upon the ground, As from the lane’s deep shade Emerging, a warm grassy plat we found Skirting the forest…

The Dream—house Often we talk of the house that we will build For airier and less jostled days than these We chafe in, and send…

The Bacchanal Of Alexander I A wondrous rumour fills and stirs The wide Carmanian Vale; On leafy hills the sunburnt vintagers Stand listening; silent is…

Shabby House wall Shabby house–wall Of bricks once yellow, Dingied with city grime, Dusty and sallow, The high sun, glorying In clear gold, edges Your…

O Sorrowful Thought! But One More Flying Year O sorrowful thought! But one more flying year, And our ways part, perhaps no more to meet:…

Malham Cove There is threat in the wind, and a murmur of water that swells Swift in the hollow: about me a shadow is thrown;…

In Carissimam Memoriam A.S.P. To whom but thee, my youth to dedicate, My youth, which these few leaves have sought to save, Should I now…

Fetching The Wounded At the road’s end glimmer the station lights; How small beneath the immense hollow of Night’s Lonely and living silence! Air that…

Before The Dawn Blacker the night grows ere the dawn be risen, Keener the cost, and fiercer yet the fight. But hark! above the thunder…

A Woman O you that facing the mirror darkly bright In the shadowed corner, loiter shyly fond, To ask of your own sad eyes a…

Winter Sunrise It is early morning within this room; without, Dark and damp; without and within, stillness Waiting for day: not a sound but a…

Thunder On The Downs Wide earth, wide heaven, and in the summer air Silence! The summit of the Down is bare Between the climbing crests…

The Statues Tarry a moment, happy feet, That to the sound of laughter glide! O glad ones of the evening street, Behold what forms are…

The Junipers Gray the slow sky darkens Over the downland track Where the long valley closes Under a smooth hill’s back. The slope is darkly…

The Crucible Because thou camest, Love, to break The strong mould of this world in two, And of the senseless fragments take And in thy…

Strike Stone On Steel Strike stone on steel, Fire replies. Strike men that feel, The answer is in their eyes. Powers that are willed to…

Pricking Thorns My spirit to–day that sprang To meet the laughing morn Is clouded and forlorn And chafes with hidden pang. For teasing care and…

Nature Because out of corruption burns the rose, And to corruption lovely cheeks descend; Because with her right hand she heals the woes Her left…

Little Hands Soft little hands that stray and clutch, Like fern fronds curl and uncurl bold, While baby faces lie in such Close sleep as…

Hide Me In Your Heart Hide me in your heart, Love, None but we can know How with every heart–beat Love could grow and grow…

Eleonora Duse As Magda The theatre is still, and Duse speaks. What charm possesses all, And what a bloom let fall On parted lips, and…

August Afternoon Thump of a horse’s hoof behind the hedge; Long stripes of shadow, and green flame in the grass Between them; discrowned, glaucous poppy–pods…

A Picture Seen In A Dream I saw the Goddess of the Evening pause Between two mountain pillars. Tall as they Appeared her stature, and…

Vigil In the hollow of pale night upon the moor The silence blows a perfume: O but hark! A sound is in the bosom of…

The Way Home Many dreams I have dreamed That are all now gone. The world, mirrored in a dark pool, How unearthly it shone! But…

The Rain Was Ending, And Light The rain was ending, and light Lifting the leaden skies. It shone upon ceiling and floor And dazzled a…

The Eyes Of Youth Time buys no wisdom like the eyes of youth, Though youth itself be blinded with delight, As a buoyant swimmer by…

The Builders Staggering slowly, and swaying Heavily at each slow foot’s lift and drag, With tense eyes careless of the roar and throng That under…

Song; Love, Like Cordial Wine Love, like cordial wine, Pouring his soul in mine, Bids me to sing; Youth’s bright glory snatch, And Time’s paces…

Over The Sea There came an evening when the storm had died After long rain, miraculously clear: And lo, across the burning waters wide Rose…

Midsummer Noon At her window gazes over the elms A girl; she looks on the branching green; But her eyes possess unfathomed realms, Her young…

In The High Leaves Of A Walnut In the high leaves of a walnut, On the very topmost boughs, A boy that climbed the branching…