America (Winn)

For works with similar titles, see America.

America  (1895)  by Ross Winn

Originally appearing in Firebrand, December 15, 1895.

"America" was published in Firebrand in 1895.

America! Once land of liberty
    And of the brave;
Dark tyranny now shackles thee,
No longer now art thou the free,
Thy liberty is dead, and thee—
    Thou art its grave!

America! Thou gem of all the seas
    And light of the earth;
Though ruled by tyrants, yet the lees
Of the proud people—the working bees
Of human hive—bend not their knees
    Nor forget their birth.

America! Thou shalt be free!
Proclaim it from sea to sea!
    The tyrant's heel
    Shall never feel
Thy soil again, nor know thy clime,
But once again will freedom twine
With live oak, olive and the vine,
    And none shall kneel.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923. The author died in 1912, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 99 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.