Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tuesday Poem: One more thing - or- Once More Unto the Breach, William Shakespeare

Nothing is ever, ever, ever, done. There is always one more thing.
And to that end 



William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616
(Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1) 

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, conjure up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage:
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head,
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o’erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O’erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill’d with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide;
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English,
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders, 
Have in these parts from morn till even fought,
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument.
Dishonour not your mothers: now attest,
That those whom you call’d fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture: let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit; and upon this charge,
Cry ‘God for Harry! England! and Saint George!'


Ok, I chose this "poem" this week because it seems to always be one more thing taking up my attention, and then I can get on with my real job of writing. Even though I know that sort of approach never works. Writing first I say. Writing first. Everything else second. (Except family in dire need. But that goes without saying).


Time to write some books. That's what brings the lustre to my eyes. Seriously, I'm finally starting to appreciate Shakespeare...as being hilarious.  So now the game's afoot..


Why not kick back and find some inspiration or simply enjoy the poems on the Tuesday Hub?

A.J. Ponder (link to my goodreads page)


2 comments:

  1. Lovely to see William on Tuesday Blog. I wonder what his comment would have been...it's good to see just one piece of his by itself. He really has the most marvellous rhythm hasn't he. I like this bit ...
    'For there is none of you so mean and base,
    That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.'
    He has such a great understanding of humans hasn't he.

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    Replies
    1. Yup, definitely a great bit - and I love the way you point out the bit that is most upbeat about human nature. :)

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