The Lost Leader

The Lost Leader I. Just for a handful of silver he left us, Just for a riband to stick in his coat--- Found the one gift of which fortune bereft us, Lost all the others she lets us devote; They, with the gold to give, doled him out silver, So much was theirs who so little allowed: How all our copper had gone for his service! Rags---were they purple, his heart had been proud! We that had loved him so, followed him, honoured him, Lived in his mild and magnificent eye, Learned his great language, caught his clear accents, Made him our pattern to live and to die! Shakespeare was of us, Milton was for us, Burns, Shelley, were with us,---they watch from their graves! He alone breaks from the van and the free-men, ---He alone sinks to the rear and the slaves! II. We shall march prospering,---not thro' his presence; Songs may inspirit us,---not from his lyre; Deeds will be done,---while he boasts his quiescence, Still bidding crouch whom the rest bade aspire: Blot out his name, then, record one lost soul more, One task more declined, one more foot-path untrod, One more devils'-triumph and sorrow for angels, One wrong more to man, one more insult to God! Life's night begins: let him never come back to us! There would be doubt, hesitation and pain, Forced praise on our part---the glimmer of twilight, Never glad confident morning again! Best fight on well, for we taught him---strike gallantly, Menace our heart ere we master his own; Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us, Pardoned in heaven, the first by the throne! Robert Browning This poem of Browning is very peculiar. Divided in his typical style of "stanza chapters", this poem can be considered an ode to another poet or maybe even to himself. The speakers of the poem are a group of people. They are the followers of this "Lost Leader", and tell that they have followed him wherever he went and did all that he ordered. in verse thirteen and fourteen four poets are mentioned: Shakespeare, Milton, Burns and Shelley. The reason for mentioning these poets is that they were like "mentors" for the "Lost Leader" and that they now gaze at the work of their "disciple" from their graves. In the rest of the poem the speakers continue to mention the achievements of their leader. I believe this poem to be a praise to Browning because he could indirectly be speaking of himself. The four poets which are mentioned could have been his greatest inspirations, and all the achievements of the "Lost Leader" could well be metaphorically his own. Information on William Shakespeare Information on John Milton Information on Robert Burns Information on Percy Bysshe Shelley