The American Volunteers

Item

The American Volunteers

Neutral! America, you cannot give

To your sons' souls neutrality. Your powers

Are sovereign, Mother, but past histories live

In hearts as young as ours.

We who are free disdain oppression, lust

And infamous raid. We have been pioneers

For freedom and our code of honor must

Dry and not startle tears.

We've read of Lafayette, who came to give

His youth, with his companions and their powers,

To help the Colonies -- and heroes live

In hearts as young as ours!

Neutral! We who go forth with sword and lance,

A little band to swell the battle's flow,

Go willingly, to pay again to France

Some of the debt we owe.

-- Marie Van Vorst.

Title
The American Volunteers
Identifier
greatwar_cunliffe132
Item sets
Poems of the Great War
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The American Volunteers</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Neutral</span>! America, you cannot give</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To your sons' souls neutrality. Your powers</p><p class="line">Are sovereign, Mother, but past histories live</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In hearts as young as ours.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We who are free disdain oppression, lust</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And infamous raid. We have been pioneers</p><p class="line">For freedom and our code of honor must</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Dry and not startle tears.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We've read of Lafayette, who came to give</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">His youth, with his companions and their powers,</p><p class="line">To help the Colonies -- and heroes live</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In hearts as young as ours!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Neutral! We who go forth with sword and lance,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">A little band to swell the battle's flow,</p><p class="line">Go willingly, to pay again to France</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Some of the debt we owe.</p></div><p class="byline">-- Marie Van Vorst.</p></body></html>