The American Flag (Drake)

by Joseph Rodman Drake

1861 illustrated edition

I
When Freedom from her mountain height
    Unfurl'd her standard to the air,
She tore the azure robe of night,
    And set the stars of glory there.
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
And striped its pure celestial white
With streakings of the morning light;
Then from his mansion in the sun
She call'd her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand
The symbol of her chosen land.

II
Majestic monarch of the cloud,
    Who rear'st aloft thy regal form,
To hear the tempest trumpings loud
And see the lightning lances driven,
    When strive the warriors of the storm,
And rolls the thunder-drum of heaven,
Child of the sun! to thee 'tis given
    To guard the banner of the free,
To hover in the sulphur smoke,
To ward away the battle stroke,
And bid its blendings shine afar,
Like rainbows on the cloud of war,
    The harbingers of victory!

III
Flag of the brave! thy folds shall fly,
    The sign of hope and triumph high,
When speaks the signal trumpet tone,
    And the long line comes gleaming on.
Ere yet the life-blood, warm and wet,
    Has dimm'd the glistening bayonet,
Each soldier eye shall brightly turn
    To where thy sky-born glories burn;
And, as his springing steps advance,
Catch war and vengeance from the glance.
And when the cannon-mouthings loud
    Heave in wild wreaths the battle-shroud
And gory sabres rise and fall
Like shoots of flame on midnight's pall;
    Then shall thy meteor glances glow,
And cowering foes shall shrink beneath
    Each gallant arm that strikes below
That lovely messenger of death.

IV
Flag of the seas! on ocean wave
Thy stars shall glitter o'er the brave;
When death, careering on the gale,
Sweeps darkly round the bellied sail
And freighted waves rush wildly back
Before the broadside's reeling rack,
Each dying wanderer of the sea
Shall look at once to heave and thee,
And smile to see thy splendour fly
In triumph o'er his closing eye.

V
Flag of the free heart's hope and home!
    By angel hands to valor given;
The stars have lit the welkin dome,
    And all thy hues were born in heaven.
Forever float that standard sheet!
    Where breathes the foe but falls before us,
With Freedom's soil beneath our feet,
    And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us!