Sir Henry Newbolt

by

Joyce Hemsley

Series of famous British names:

SIR HENRY NEWBOLT
English Author and Poet
Born in Staffordshire,
eighteen sixty-two.
Died England nineteen
thirty-eight.
Sir Henry Newbolt was educated
at Clifton College and was head
of the school in 1881. Called
to The Bar in 1887...
He was a writer of renown.
He wrote many famous books and
poems of the sea and the Navy:
The Year of Trafalgar
Naval History of the War,
Songs of the Sea
Admirals All - the list
of his writings is endless.

Two of my favourites are
Admirals All and Vitai Lampada.
I still quote the latter
"off by heart" from my schooldays,
and now take this opportunity -
on the final day of the Ashes
between Australia and England -
to quote Vitai Lampada. a great
poem about Cricket.:

Vitai Lampada - by Sir Henry Newbolt:

There's a breathless hush in the close tonight,
Ten to make and the match to win...
A bumping pitch and a blinding light
An hour to play and the last man in.
And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat
Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,
But the Captain's hand on his shoulder smote,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"

The sand of the desert is sodden red,
Red with the wreck of a square that broke,
The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel dead,
the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed its banks
And England's far and honour a name
But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"

This is the word that year by year
While in her place the school is set,
Every one of her sons must hear,
And none that hears it dare forget.
This they all with a joyful mind,
Bear through life, like a torch in flame,
And falling fling to the host behind,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
...........................

How wonderful a poem!
By the great,
the one and only,
Sir Henry Newbolt.

NEXT?
Why don't you look at Hidden Memories...
by: Joe Fazio
from: Beverly Hills, CA, US

To visit all of Joyce Hemsley's poems, click HERE

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