Publication information

Source:
Lawrence Daily Journal
Source type: newspaper
Document type: poem
Document title: “‘When Thou Art Laid Down’”
Author(s): Arnold, Annie Sears
City of publication: Lawrence, Kansas
Date of publication: 19 September 1901
Volume number: 33
Issue number: 217
Pagination: [2]

 
Citation
Arnold, Annie Sears. “‘When Thou Art Laid Down.’” Lawrence Daily Journal 19 Sept. 1901 v33n217: p. [2].
 
Transcription
full text
 
Keywords
William McKinley (mourning: poetry); William McKinley (poetry); McKinley assassination (poetry); William McKinley (death: poetry).
 
Named persons
none.
 
Notes
The condition of the newspaper (an online scanned document) is poor in places, rendering punctuation and selected letters difficult or impossible to read. A best guess is given below as to what the punctuation is intended to be.
 
Document


“When Thou Art Laid Down”

Rise up, uncovered my brother,
     From your utmost southern bay,
And you from your rolling prairie,
     Where the western breezes play,
And North, and the East go mourning
     For him who is dead today.
          O, lower the flag and drape it
               As he to his rest is borne[!]
          While the long, long bells go tolling
               Mourn ye, and mourn and mourn.

For him whom the hissing bullet
     Hath thrust into death’s dark maw;
Whose law was the tenderest mercy,
     Whose mercy was highest law;
Unfearing e’en death’s undoing,
     Brave stateman [sic] with scarce a flaw.
          O, lower the flag and drape it
               As he to his rest is borne!
          While the long, long bells go tolling
               Mourn ye[,] and mourn and mourn.

O, strange that so brave a soldier,
     At a coward’s foul command
Could falter thus in his marching,
     Could stay thus his hero hand.
          O, lower the flag and drape it
               As he to his rest is borne!
          While the long[,] long bells go tolling
               Mourn ye, and mourn and mourn.

The truest—the dearest lover
     He stands to the world confessed.
Now open your arms, Ohio,
     And gather him to his rest,
While the world stands at attention
     To him who hath done his best.
          O[,] lower the flag and drape it
               As he to his rest is borne!
          While the long[,] long bells go tolling
               Mourn ye, and mourn and mourn.