November, 1806
By William Wordsworth
Another year!—another deadly blow!
Another mighty Empire overthrown!
And We are left, or shall be left, alone;
The last that dare to struggle with the Foe.
‘Tis well! from this day forward we shall know
That in ourselves our safety must be sought;
That by our own right hands it must be wrought;
That we must stand unpropped, or be laid low.
O dastard whom such foretaste doth not cheer!
We shall exult, if they who rule the land
Be men who hold its many blessings dear,
Wise, upright, valiant; not a servile band,
Who are to judge of danger which they fear,
And honour which they do not understand.
About the author
William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850) was one of the founders of English Romanticism and one its key figures and important minds. He is remembered as a poet of spiritual consciousness with a great love of nature, and interest in the connection between humans and the natural environment. Wordsworth was a strong advocate of using the vocabulary and speech styles of common people in poetry.