The Smile of Reims

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The Smile of Reims by Florence Earle Coates Fugitive verse

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As rendered in The Bellman (2 June 1917):

The Smile of Reims

   ...lifted from the earth with
       trembling hand,
   Victorious, still glowed upon her
       face
   Thy smile, heroic France, love-
       given and immortal !—FEC

THE SMILE OF REIMS "The smile," they called her,—"La Sourire";             and fair—    A sculptured angel on the northern door    Of the Cathedral's west façade—she wore Through the long centuries of toil and care That smile, mysteriously wrought and rare,    As if she saw brave visions evermore—    Kings, and an armored Maid who lilies bore, And all the glories that had once been there. How like to thee, her undefeated Land!    Wounded by bursting shells, a little space       Broken she lay beneath her ancient portal; But lifted from the earth with trembling hand,    Victorious, still glowed upon her face       Thy smile, heroic France, love-given and             immortal! Florence Earle Coates.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923. The author died in 1927, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 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.