The Portent
0h, late withdrawn from human-kind And following dreams we never knew! Varus, what dream has Fate assigned To trouble you? Such virtue as commends of law Of Virtue to the vulgar horde Suffices not. You needs must draw A righteous sword; And, flagrant in well-doing, smite The priests of Bacchus at their fane, Lest any worshipper invite The God again. Whence public strife and naked crime And-deadlier than the cup you shun, A people schooled to mock, in time, All law--not one. Cease, then, to fashion State-made sin, Nor give thy children cause to doubt That Virtue springs from Iron within, Not lead without.
AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.
About this line
"0h, late withdrawn from human-kind..."
Exploring the themes of classic, Rudyard Kipling delivers a powerful performance in "The Portent"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...