Poetry Friday

I have spent much of this past week researching family genealogy, specifically my Scottish ancestry.  This inspired me to read some Scottish poets and when I stumbled on this poem, I knew I had to share it.  My family immigrated from Glasgow, so I loved this poem.

Glasgow

City! I am true son of thine;
Ne’er dwelt I where great mornings shine
Around the bleating pens;
Ne’er by the rivulets I strayed,
And ne’er upon my childhood weighed
The silence of the glens.
Instead of shores where ocean beats,
I hear the ebb and flow of streets.

Draw thy fierce streams of blinding ore,
Smite on a thousand anvils, roar
Down to the harbour-bars;
Smoulder in smoky sunsets, flare
On rainy night, with street and square
Lie empty to the stars.
From terrace proud to alley base
I know thee as my mother’s face.

When sunset bathes thee in his gold,
In wreaths of bronze thy sides are rolled,
Thy smoke is dusky fire;
And, from the glory round thee poured,
A sunbeam like an angel’s sword
Shivers upon a spire.
Thus have I watched thee, Terror! Dream!

While the blue Night crept up the stream.

This is an extract from a much longer poem by Alexander Thomson who lived from 1830 to 1867.
 
In the classroom today, I read a few selections from Laura Amy Schlitz’s Newbery-award winning “Good Master!  Sweet Ladies!”.  They really enjoyed the poems and I promised we will read more of them when we study the Middle Ages later this year!

Tags: poetryfriday, scottish poem