Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CAMP ECHOES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Rally round the flag, boys! Give it to / the breeze!'
Last Line: Then wrap the flag about us in the bed where last we lie.
Alternate Author Name(s): Van Deth, Gerrit, Mrs.
Subject(s): Camp-meetings; Flags; Military Recruitment; Patriotism; Soldiers; War


"RALLY round the flag, boys! Give it to the breeze!"
Bless the dear old fiddle that wakes the gallant air.
Once we thundered it in chorus like the booming of the seas,
Wives and sweethearts joining in, with an "Amen" to the prayer.

We're a lot of grizzled fellows, not so much to look at now!
Young and full of vigor when the war began,
Some behind the counter, and some behind the plough,
But we rallied for the country, enlisted to a man.

Counting not the cost, boys! Never sordid aims
Dimmed our record, hasting to the conflict's brunt;
Each to serve the nation, we answered to our names,
And the flag before us, we hurried to the front.

Can't you see it waving, the banner of our love,
Where the Shenandoah loops and twists like mad?
Can't you hear the shouting, the dying groans above,
When we'd won a battle, and—lost the best we had?

Blessings on the music of "Tramp, tramp, tramp!"
How it rang its challenge down the serried lines,
Cheered us when, like hounds a - leash, we strained through days in camp,
Or crashed, with Sherman's storm-cloud, through Georgia's solemn pines.

Here, like useless hulks, boys, we doze the days away—
Doze and dream and spin our yarns; but when we come to die,
Lights out, some true hand for us let "taps" the last time play,
Then wrap the flag about us in the bed where last we lie.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net