McKinley Assassination Ink: A Documentary History of William McKinley's Assassination

Publication information

Source: Poets and Poetry of Nebraska
Source type: book
Document type: poem
Document title: “Our Martyred President”
Author(s): Van Burgh, Lizzie [poem]; anonymous [book]
Publisher: American Publishers’ Association
Place of publication: Chicago, Illinois
Year of publication: 1902
Pagination: 100-01

Citation

Van Burgh, Lizzie. “Our Martyred President.” Poets and Poetry of Nebraska. Chicago: American Publishers’ Association, 1902: pp. 100-01.

Transcription

full text

Keywords

William McKinley (mourning: poetry); William McKinley (poetry).

Named persons

William McKinley.

Notes

From page 98:

Born: Sept. 29, 1859, in Bernalotte, Ill.
She is a writer of Holbrook, Neb., and the author of a volume of poems. Her poems have for many years appeared in the leading publications of Nebraska.

From title page: Contains Biographical Sketches and Choice Poetical Selections from the Leading Poets Now Living.

Document

Our Martyred President

A nation mourns to-day
     Our martyred President;
A nation not alone—
     The whole world bows,
In homage to our grief;
     Our martyred President.
No monarch, king or emperor, he;
Only a simple man, who loved simplicity;
     Our martyred President,
           McKinley.

And yet God made him great,
     Our martyred President;
With heart as pure and true,
     As ever beat within
The bosom of a child:
     Our martyred President;
A coward’s hand the bullet sped,
That laid him with the sacred dead;
     Our martyred President,
           McKinley.

No crown adorned his brow,
     Our martyred President;
Save God’s own seal,
     Of noble manhood great,
How great our nation knows,
     Our martyred President;
Ohio bows once more her head,
To greet the honored, murdered dead,
     Our martyred President,
           McKinley.

A blot rests on our land to-day.
     Our martyred President; [100][101]
Three stars upon our flag
     Stained by a traitor’s hand,
The flag for which they fought;
     Our martyred Presidents.
“Nearer My God to Thee” to-night,
He murmured ere his soul took flight,
     Our martyred President,
           McKinley.

Well may the nation mourn
     Our martyred President;
“Lead Kindly Light,” and cheer
     Our nation’s widow now,
The heart he cherished true,
     Our martyred President.
A man who honors first his God
     Then mother, home, and wife,
Will guard his country’s honor with his life.
     Such was—Our martyred President
           McKinley.